Etymograph

English

Filan

Filan comes from Irish Ó Fialáin ‘descendant of Fialán’, from fial ‘generous’, and ultimately from Proto-Celtic *weilos ‘modest’.

  1. Proto-Celticc. 1300–800 BCE*weilos‘modest’reconstructed
  2. Old Irishc. 600–900fíal‘noble, becoming, generous’
  3. Irishc. 1200–presentfial‘generous’
  4. Irish, derivedc. 1200–presentÓ Fialáin‘descendant of Fialán’
  5. EnglishtodayFilan

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Earlier history uncertain.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Celticc. 1300–800 BCE*weilos‘modest’reconstructed
  2. Old Irishc. 600–900fíal‘noble, becoming, generous’
  3. Irishc. 1200–presentfial‘generous’
  4. Irish, derivedc. 1200–presentÓ Fialáin‘descendant of Fialán’
  5. EnglishtodayFilan

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *wey- ‘rotate turn’

weld, wattle, guile, wile, withe, 3 more

Today it means

name A surname.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Celtic *weilos / Filan

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