63%RatingSave Gender Masculine Usage Old Irish Meaning & History Derived from Old Irish dub "dark, black" and either slán "challenge, defiance" or Sláine, the Irish name of the River Slaney [1]. Related Names Rootsdub + slán Categories black, colors, dark, rivers, water Sources & References Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford, 2003, page 430.