Faolán, Phelan, Fillin

• Origin: Gaelic
• Meaning: “little wolf.”
• Gender: masculine
• Gaelic (FWAY-lahn); Eng (FAY-len; FIL-lin)

The name is derived from the Gaelic, faol, meaning “wolf” and the diminutive suffix –án. It is borne by 3 Medieval Saints from Ireland, 2 who settled in Scotland and another that did missionary work in Frankish Brabant.

There is a Cathedral dedicated to St. Foillan of Brabant in Aachen, Germany.

It is the ancestor of several Irish and Scottish surnames, such as Fylan, Hyland, MacClellan, MacClelland, Mac Giolla Fhaoláin, McClellan, McClelland, Ó Faoláin, Phelan, Whalen & Whelan.

Fillan is also the name of a place in Norway, but the name is probably of a separate etymology.

Other forms include:

• Foillan (Dutch, French, German)
• Phillan (English)
• Feuillien (French)
• Folien (French)
• Foilan (French)
• Pholien (French)
• Foillano (Italian)
• Fillano (Italian)
• Foilanus/Foillanus (Late Latin)
• Fáelán (Old Irish)
• Felano (Spanish)

Sources

• https://learngaelic.net/dictionary/index.jsp?abairt=challenge&slang=both&wholeword=false
• https://www.behindthename.com/name/faola10n
• https://www.nordicnames.de/wiki/Faol%C3%A1n
• https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=581
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foillan
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fillan