**Balan** is an ancient Bulgarian personal name that is connected to Ukrainian anthroponyms and zoonomy, such as Bilan, Bilanchuk, etc. These names contain the Proto-Slavic root *bel- 'white' in its Bulgarian variant and the attributive suffix -an.
The proper name Balan was recorded as early as the 6th century as the nickname of a white horse ridden by the Byzantine military leader Belisarius, according to Procopius of Caesarea. In the documents of the 13th century, the Croatian name Balislav was found by M. Shimundic in the city of Dubrovnik. In 1434, this name was recorded in Bukovina: "Balanъ from Strymba." In the 17th century, the lexeme "balan" in Ukraine already appeared as a surname, which, according to V. Ostapa, is derived from Slavic autochthonous two-root names, such as Baloslav, Balosin.
In Transcarpathia, the surnames Balan and Balanchuk have also been recorded since the 17th century. For example, in 1684, in the village of Bushtyno, Balán Lazar is mentioned. In Ukraine, there are also patronymic forms from the 16th-17th centuries: Balich, Balенко, Balewicz.
In Hutsulshchyna and the Dniester region, the appellative "balan" is still used, meaning 'blonde boy' and is a nickname for domestic animals of a white color. In the territories of Bukovina, Moldova, and Romania, the lexeme "balan" is most often interpreted as 'white horse,' 'white ox,' 'white dog,' 'blonde boy,' and is considered related to Romanian bäl 'blonde' and Moldavian bel 't. s.,' which are derived from the Slavic bel- 'white.'
As a personal name, "balan" is now used among Bulgarians, Serbs, and Romanians. In the name Balan and its derivatives (Balko, Balich, Balichskiy, etc.), other etymologies are possible; some researchers believe the root may be of ancient Turkic origin.
