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At a Glance
- Meaning
- Son of the sea
- Origin
- Welsh
- Gender
- Boy
- Pronunciation
- DIL-un
Dylan is a Welsh boy's name meaning "son of the sea," pronounced DIL-un. You may see it lumped in with Dillon since they sound alike, but the two names aren't actually related — Dylan stands on its own with its sea-tied Welsh meaning.
Meaning & Origin of Dylan
Meaning: Son of the sea.
Origin: Welsh.
A common claim: Dylan is popularly known to mean 'son of the sea' or 'great tide,' and is sometimes assumed to be the same name as Dillon. Actually: The 'son of the sea' sense does match the (hedged) documented meaning tied to the Welsh sea-figure Dylan ail Don, but Dylan is unrelated to Dillon despite the similar sound — a common mix-up worth correcting.
Source: Wiktionary.
How to Pronounce Dylan
DIL-unIPA /ˈdɪlən/
Popularity of Dylan
Dylan hit its peak in 2003 at #19, with 15,703 babies given the name that year; by 2024 it had settled to #28, with 7,464 babies, according to Social Security data spanning 1953 to 2024.
Names Like Dylan
These names share Dylan’s style, era or origin.
FAQ
What does the name Dylan mean?
Son of the sea. (Source: Wiktionary)
How do you pronounce Dylan?
Dylan is pronounced DIL-un (IPA: /ˈdɪlən/).
Is Dylan a popular name right now?
Dylan peaked at #19 in 2003 and is ranked #28 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1953–2024.)
Make Dylan Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Dylan, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
📊 How popular is Dylan? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
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