Every Boy Name

Boy's name

Dylan

Say it DIL-un 2 syllables

Welsh · “possibly son of the sea”

Common in England and Wales, Italy, Quebec, and 3 more places. Rare in France, Poland, Israel, and 16 more places.

1 in 379 boys born in England and Wales in 2025. Number 72 there.

Dylan in every place

Rank, count and share in all 40 places: loved in 0, common in 6, rare in 19.
Dylan in every place we hold figures for
Place Rankyear Boysshare 5 years earlier
British Isles
England and Wales72 (down)20257171 in 379552020
Scotland110 (down)2025461 in 427852020
Northern Ireland143 (down)2025161 in 518682020
Ireland69 (down)2025841 in 282282020
North America
Ontario (province)125 (down)2024104about 1 in 576732019
Quebec (province)96 (down)202573about 1 in 398552020
British Columbia (province)144 (down)202324about 1 in 542462018
Nova Scotia (province)Not in the published top 212025Not listed2020
Oceania
New South Wales (state)Not in the published top 1002025932020
Victoria (state)Not in the published top 1012025912020
Queensland (state)Not in the published top 1012025Not listed2020
South Australia (state)Not in the published top 1002025Not listed2020
New ZealandNot in the published top 1002025792020
Western Europe
France304 (down)20251701 in 1,7812102020
Netherlands266 (down)202558about 1 in 1,1471472020
Central Europe
AustriaRare: below the complete list20256022020
Switzerland164 (down)2025471 in 766712020
Berlin (city)617 (down)20234about 1 in 3,8783552018
Munich (city)Rare: below the complete list2025Not listed2020
Cologne (city)418 (up)20232about 1 in 3,1894902018
Bonn (city)397 (new in the list)20251about 1 in 3,170Not listed2020
Leipzig (city)389 (up)20251about 1 in 2,8764032020
Rostock (city)Rare: below the complete list2025Not listed2020
Nordic countries
NorwayRare: below the complete list2025Not listed2020
Sweden261 (down)202533about 1 in 1,3071392020
DenmarkNot in the published top 502025Not listed2020
FinlandNot in the published top 502025No list2020
IcelandNot in the published top 102025No list2020
Southern Europe
Spain38 (down)2024880342019
Catalonia (region)51 (down)2025871 in 238342020
Italy91 (down)20243081 in 615892019
Central and Eastern Europe
Poland330 (down)2025101 in 12,6402522020
HungaryNot in the published top 1002025Not listed2020
SloveniaRare: below the complete list2025Not listed2020
EstoniaNot in the published top 272025Not listed2020
Moscow (city)Not in the published top 612025Not listed2020
CroatiaNot in the published top 502025No list2020
Middle East
TurkeyNot in the published top 302025Not listed2020
Israel (published as דילן)349 (down)202436about 1 in 2,3643212019
Latin America
ArgentinaNot in the published top 202024Not listed2019

Germany publishes no national list; the German rows are city registers. Israel publishes names in Hebrew script; the original is shown beside the name. About: the publisher leaves out its smallest names, so the share is approximate. ▲ and ▼ compare the rank with five years earlier. Not listed five years earlier: not in that year’s list. No list: the place published no list that year. How these figures are computed.

About the name

Dylan comes from Welsh mythology. It is possibly from Celtic for 'son of the sea' or 'born from the ocean', so the meaning is given as possibly 'son of the sea'. It is unrelated to Dillon, although they sound alike.

2 more paragraphs

It has two syllables, DIL-un, and a soft, flowing sound. It has no common variant spellings, and its sound is gentle enough to pair with most surnames.

Dylan is popular in Spain and Catalonia and appears in the lists for Italy, Ireland, England and Wales and Quebec. French records put its peak in the late 1990s, and it is now falling in most of the places that record it.

Meaning, origin and how to say it

Say it
DIL-un · 2 syllables · Stress on beat 1 of 2.
Meaning
“possibly son of the sea” (hedged in the source)
Origin
Welsh
Where Dylan comes from (Wiktionary)

From Welsh mythology; possibly from Celtic for "son of the sea" or "born from the ocean." Unrelated to the name Dillon, although the homophony may result in the two being considered variant spellings of the same name.

Shortened from the Wiktionary entry for Dylan. Text available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Dylan over time

Rising in 0 of the 15 regions we can compare over five years, falling in 12. Peak in France: 1996.

Rank in England and Wales, 1996 to 2025

Dylan in England and Wales: #57 in 1996, a peak of #16 in 2010, and #72 in 2025.

#1#10#50#100#300200020052010201520202025Top 101996: #57, 1,186 boys1997: #52, 1,380 boys1998: #45, 1,643 boys1999: #46, 1,512 boys2000: #37, 1,811 boys2001: #27, 2,610 boys2002: #28, 2,599 boys2003: #28, 2,886 boys2004: #21, 3,023 boys2005: #24, 2,990 boys2006: #23, 3,103 boys2007: #19, 3,256 boys2008: #17, 3,373 boys2009: #19, 3,201 boys2010: #16, 3,147 boys2011: #21, 2,962 boys2012: #28, 2,800 boys2013: #31, 2,393 boys2014: #34, 2,188 boys2015: #38, 1,903 boys2016: #38, 1,784 boys2017: #40, 1,577 boys2018: #43, 1,465 boys2019: #54, 1,260 boys2020: #55, 1,168 boys2021: #57, 1,099 boys2022: #64, 889 boys2023: #67, 840 boys2024: #64, 788 boys2025: #72, 717 boys#57 in 1996peak #16, 2010#72in 2025
Show the numbers
YearRankBoys
1996571,186
1997521,380
1998451,643
1999461,512
2000371,811
2001272,610
2002282,599
2003282,886
2004213,023
2005242,990
2006233,103
2007193,256
2008173,373
2009193,201
2010163,147
2011212,962
2012282,800
2013312,393
2014342,188
2015381,903
2016381,784
2017401,577
2018431,465
2019541,260
2020551,168
2021571,099
202264889
202367840
202464788
202572717

Source: Office for National Statistics (OGL v3)

The long view: in France

Half of the boys named Dylan in France since 1925 were born in or after 1999. Peak: 1996, about 1,830 per 100,000 boys. Babies per 100,000 boys, five-year periods.

1925-1929: 0 per 100,000 boys1930-1934: 0 per 100,000 boys1935-1939: 0 per 100,000 boys1940-1944: 0 per 100,000 boys19401945-1949: 0 per 100,000 boys1950-1954: 0 per 100,000 boys1955-1959: 0 per 100,000 boys1960-1964: 0 per 100,000 boys19601965-1969: 0 per 100,000 boys1970-1974: 0.7 per 100,000 boys1975-1979: 2.3 per 100,000 boys1980-1984: 6 per 100,000 boys19801985-1989: 33 per 100,000 boys1990-1994: 402.1 per 100,000 boys1995-1999: 1,543 per 100,000 boys2000-2004: 766.4 per 100,000 boys20002005-2009: 410.4 per 100,000 boys2010-2014: 215.1 per 100,000 boys2015-2019: 131.1 per 100,000 boys2020-2024: 75.5 per 100,000 boys20202025: 56.2 per 100,000 boys20251995-1999: about 1 in 65 boys
Show the numbers
YearsPer 100,000 boys
1925–19290
1930–19340
1935–19390
1940–19440
1945–19490
1950–19540
1955–19590
1960–19640
1965–19690
1970–19740.7
1975–19792.3
1980–19846
1985–198933
1990–1994402.1
1995–19991,543
2000–2004766.4
2005–2009410.4
2010–2014215.1
2015–2019131.1
2020–202475.5
202556.2

Source: INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (Licence Ouverte / Etalab 2.0). Dark bar: the period holding the median birth year.

Brothers and middle names for Dylan

Brother names

Names that rose and fell with Dylan, from the same generation, with no clashing sounds.

  1. 1 in 185, Ireland

  2. 1 in 290, England and Wales

  3. 1 in 387, England and Wales

  4. 1 in 128, Ireland

  5. 1 in 395, Ireland

  6. 1 in 312, Ireland

  7. 1 in 354, England and Wales

  8. 1 in 418, Scotland

  9. 1 in 162, Northern Ireland

  10. 1 in 136, Northern Ireland

All 40 brother names for Dylan

Middle names

Scored for rhythm against Dylan's 2 syllables and for long, steady use.

  1. 1 in 86, England and Wales

  2. 1 in 50, Ireland

  3. 1 in 61, Northern Ireland

  4. 1 in 103, England and Wales

  5. 1 in 130, Scotland

  6. 1 in 62, Poland

  7. 1 in 88, England and Wales

  8. 1 in 137, Scotland

Full-name check

Dylan Oliver

Syllables 2-3Initials D.O.No sound clashes between the parts.

All 40 middle names for Dylan

Sisters for Dylan: Leah, Sarah, Madison, and 5 more
  1. LeahRose and fell with Dylan · Same generation as Dylan
  2. SarahRose and fell with Dylan · Same generation as Dylan
  3. MadisonRose and fell with Dylan · Same generation as Dylan
  4. HannahRose and fell with Dylan · Same generation as Dylan
  5. AbigailRose and fell with Dylan · As common as Dylan
  6. LaraRose and fell with Dylan · As common as Dylan
  7. AliciaRose and fell with Dylan · Same generation as Dylan
  8. AlyssaRose and fell with Dylan · Same generation as Dylan

Girls' names from the same engine, over the girls' lists of the same publishers.

Moved with Dylan

The boy names whose popularity rose and fell most like Dylan's across every region and decade we hold.

  1. Rare in France, Italy, Poland, and 15 more places.

  2. Rare in France, England and Wales, Italy, and 16 more places.

  3. Rare in Poland, Israel, Sweden, and 11 more places.

  4. Rare in France, Italy, Poland, and 13 more places.

  5. Rare across France, the UK, Italy, and 18 more places.

  6. Common across France, the UK, three Canadian provinces, and 8 more places.

  7. Common across France, the UK, Italy, and 9 more places.

  8. Rare in France, England and Wales, Italy, and 15 more places.

Famous people named Dylan

Dylan Thomas, Dylan Minnette, and 6 more

From Wikidata, ranked by how many Wikipedia language editions have an article on them. People: Wikidata (CC0). Links go to Wikipedia in this page's language when an article exists, else English.

Questions about Dylan

How popular is Dylan in Ireland?

Dylan ranked #69 in Ireland in 2025, given to 84 boys, about 1 in 282.

Is Dylan rising in popularity?

Not overall: it is falling in more places than it is rising. Rising in 0 of the 15 regions we can compare over five years, falling in 12.

What does Dylan mean?

Dylan means “possibly son of the sea”, according to Wiktionary. The dictionary itself marks this meaning as uncertain.

How many syllables does Dylan have?

Dylan has 2 syllables: DIL-un.

Every rank and count on this page comes from an official birth register. How these figures are computed.

Meanings, origins and people: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikidata (CC0).

The 42 birth registers behind these figures

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Kept names collect here.

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