Alain is the French form of Alan, a Breton and Celtic name of uncertain origin that is usually explained as "little rock" or "handsome". Actor Alain Delon and philosopher Alain de Botton are well-known bearers. In the United States the name is used mostly in French-speaking and Haitian American families; it reached number 1562 in 2003 and has slipped to number 2836 in 2025.