Dylan
Boy · DIL-an · Welsh
Classic
Dylan is a boys' name of Welsh origin. In 2025 it ranked 73rd for boys in the UK (779 babies) and 41st for boys in the US (6,208 babies).
What does Dylan mean?
Welsh: Welsh name, perhaps from dy, great, and llanw, tide
In the Mabinogion, Dylan ail Don is a sea-being who swims like a fish; the poet Dylan Thomas made the name famous.
- Say it
- DIL-an
More on Wiktionary.
Is Dylan a girl's or a boy's name?
Dylan is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 18 girls and 779 boys in the UK and 338 girls and 6,208 boys in the US.
How popular is Dylan in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #73among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 779about 1 in 380 boys
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 41% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 3.6%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 779 boys in the UK were named Dylan, making it the 73rd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 53rd. Its busiest year was 2008, with 3,891 boys. 18 girls were also named Dylan in 2025 (1,690th for girls).
It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 17 years. 2025 had the fewest boys named Dylan since the records began in 1996.
Half of all the boys named Dylan in the UK since 1996 were born between 2003 and 2013. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
In 2025, 852 boys in the UK were given Dylan or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #73.
Among boys in 2025, it was 72nd in England and Wales, 110th in Scotland and 143rd in Northern Ireland.
In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1994 (#83), 2004 (#21), 2014 (#34) and 2024 (#65).
Dylan in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 779 | #73 |
| 2024 | 851 | #71 |
| 2023 | 919 | #65 |
| 2022 | 978 | #64 |
| 2021 | 1,207 | #57 |
| 2020 | 1,278 | #53 |
| 2019 | 1,407 | #50 |
| 2018 | 1,644 | #43 |
| 2017 | 1,746 | #39 |
| 2016 | 2,018 | #38 |
| 2015 | 2,143 | #36 |
| 2014 | 2,461 | #33 |
| 2013 | 2,701 | #31 |
| 2012 | 3,187 | #26 |
| 2011 | 3,372 | #19 |
| 2010 | 3,581 | #16 |
| 2009 | 3,680 | #17 |
| 2008 | 3,891 | #15 |
| 2007 | 3,739 | #17 |
| 2006 | 3,580 | #21 |
| 2005 | 3,510 | #21 |
| 2004 | 3,573 | #20 |
| 2003 | 3,422 | #24 |
| 2002 | 3,170 | #26 |
| 2001 | 3,258 | #25 |
| 2000 | 2,332 | #37 |
| 1999 | 2,007 | #42 |
| 1998 | 2,153 | #41 |
| 1997 | 1,909 | #47 |
| 1996 | 1,524 | #54 |
How popular is Dylan in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #41among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 6,208about 1 in 280 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadydown 10% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 5%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 6,208 boys in the US were named Dylan, making it the 41st most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 42nd. Its busiest year was 2001, with 16,497 boys. It first appears in the records in 1953. 338 girls were also named Dylan in 2025 (807th for girls).
2025 had fewer boys named Dylan than any year since 1990.
Half of all the boys named Dylan in the US since 1880 were born between 1997 and 2013, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 6,862 boys in the US were given Dylan or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #40, up from #41 for this spelling alone.
Dylan in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 6,208 | #41 |
| 2024 | 7,487 | #28 |
| 2023 | 7,074 | #34 |
| 2022 | 6,745 | #42 |
| 2021 | 6,767 | #44 |
| 2020 | 6,857 | #42 |
| 2019 | 7,555 | #39 |
| 2018 | 8,610 | #31 |
| 2017 | 9,315 | #29 |
| 2016 | 9,720 | #32 |
| 2015 | 10,298 | #27 |
| 2014 | 10,416 | #29 |
| 2013 | 10,127 | #29 |
| 2012 | 10,001 | #31 |
| 2011 | 9,792 | #33 |
| 2010 | 10,520 | #31 |
| 2009 | 11,373 | #30 |
| 2008 | 11,710 | #31 |
| 2007 | 12,811 | #29 |
| 2006 | 13,171 | #26 |
| 2005 | 13,782 | #24 |
| 2004 | 14,852 | #19 |
| 2003 | 15,703 | #19 |
| 2002 | 14,821 | #23 |
| 2001 | 16,497 | #21 |
| 2000 | 15,405 | #24 |
| 1999 | 15,981 | #23 |
| 1998 | 14,540 | #25 |
| 1997 | 12,968 | #30 |
| 1996 | 12,037 | #33 |
| 1995 | 12,091 | #34 |
| 1994 | 12,530 | #32 |
| 1993 | 12,686 | #32 |
| 1992 | 15,064 | #28 |
| 1991 | 9,763 | #46 |
| 1990 | 4,414 | #83 |
| 1989 | 2,853 | #115 |
| 1988 | 2,158 | #137 |
| 1987 | 1,997 | #141 |
| 1986 | 1,833 | #149 |
| 1985 | 1,331 | #188 |
| 1984 | 971 | #231 |
| 1983 | 777 | #266 |
| 1982 | 700 | #290 |
| 1981 | 729 | #283 |
| 1980 | 822 | #265 |
| 1979 | 639 | #305 |
| 1978 | 480 | #351 |
| 1977 | 530 | #338 |
| 1976 | 399 | #385 |
| 1975 | 454 | #365 |
| 1974 | 384 | #395 |
| 1973 | 277 | #473 |
| 1972 | 302 | #454 |
| 1971 | 257 | #509 |
| 1970 | 314 | #457 |
| 1969 | 228 | #514 |
| 1968 | 121 | #685 |
| 1967 | 63 | #910 |
| 1966 | 62 | #926 |
| 1965 | 47 | #1,081 |
| 1964 | 38 | #1,262 |
| 1963 | 34 | #1,337 |
| 1962 | 19 | #1,851 |
| 1961 | 33 | #1,387 |
| 1960 | 39 | #1,251 |
| 1959 | 30 | #1,438 |
| 1958 | 22 | #1,676 |
| 1957 | 11 | #2,492 |
| 1956 | 10 | #2,626 |
| 1955 | 12 | #2,301 |
| 1954 | 7 | #3,174 |
| 1953 | 5 | #3,796 |
Names like Dylan
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Ethan Logan Ryan Kian Declan Nathan Brody Finn Owen Aiden Riley Cody
Other spellings of Dylan
Dillon Dilan Dillan Dhilan Dillion Dyllan Dylon Dylin Dylann Dylen Dhylan
Names related to Dylan
More Welsh names
Winnie Maddox Morgan Idris Reese Bowen Griffin Rhys Gavin Reece Nia Seren Gwendolyn Winifred Meredith Brynn