What does the name Dylan mean?

Dylan means son of the sea; great wave.

Where does the name Dylan come from?

Dylan is a boy name of Welsh origin.

Is Dylan a boy or a girl name?

Dylan is used for both. In U.S. Social Security records, about 4% of children given the name Dylan are girls and 96% are boys.

How popular is the name Dylan in 2023?

Dylan ranks #651 for boys in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 2001 with 16,696 babies.

How do you pronounce Dylan?

Dylan is pronounced DIL-an (2 syllables).

What are common spellings of Dylan?

Dylan is also written as Dillon.

A name from Welsh · Boy

Dylan

Son of the sea; great wave.

Compare

Popularity over time

A 70-year arc in numbers.

404,984 U.S. births recorded from 1953–2023.

Popularity · 1953–2023

7,525 births in 2023

1953 1988 2023

Babies named per year Peak year Most recent

Meaning

A name that means something.

DSon of the sea; great wave.

Variants & spellings

1 ways to spell "Dylan".

Each transliteration carries a slightly different cultural fingerprint.

Dillon Most common

Famous bearers

People who carry the name Dylan.

D
Bob Dylan (musician)
D
Dylan Thomas (poet)

Quick answers

People often ask about Dylan.

What does the name Dylan mean?: Dylan means son of the sea; great wave.
Where does the name Dylan come from?: Dylan is a boy name of Welsh origin.
Is Dylan a boy or a girl name?: Dylan is used for both. In U.S. Social Security records, about 4% of children given the name Dylan are girls and 96% are boys.
How popular is the name Dylan in 2023?: Dylan ranks #651 for boys in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 2001 with 16,696 babies.
How do you pronounce Dylan?: Dylan is pronounced DIL-an (2 syllables).
What are common spellings of Dylan?: Dylan is also written as Dillon.

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About this page

Popularity counts come from the U.S. Social Security Administration's national dataset. Meanings and origins are curated from etymological sources. If you spot an error, please let us know.