Dylan
Say it: DIL-an/ˈdɪlən/
BoyMythology5 letters2 syllables
#69
in Ireland (2025)
#71 with spellings combined
84
babies in 2025
#7
best rank (1998)
12,786
babies since 1969
Down 54
10-year rank change
Dylan through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (boys) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 84 | #71 |
| 2024 | 141 | #40 |
| 2023 | 132 | #42 |
| 2022 | 163 | #33 |
| 2021 | 205 | #26 |
| 2020 | 182 | #28 |
| 2019 | 223 | #26 |
| 2018 | 247 | #28 |
| 2017 | 252 | #29 |
| 2016 | 286 | #23 |
| 2015 | 343 | #17 |
| 2014 | 384 | #11 |
| 2013 | 360 | #20 |
| 2012 | 471 | #9 |
| 2011 | 492 | #10 |
| 2010 | 491 | #10 |
| 2009 | 480 | #11 |
| 2008 | 519 | #8 |
| 2007 | 516 | #11 |
| 2006 | 456 | #12 |
| 2005 | 467 | #11 |
| 2004 | 479 | #11 |
| 2003 | 478 | #10 |
| 2002 | 485 | #11 |
| 2001 | 538 | #8 |
| 2000 | 477 | #10 |
| 1999 | 445 | #10 |
| 1998 | 443 | #7 |
| 1997 | 531 | #13 |
| 1996 | 491 | #14 |
| 1995 | 487 | #13 |
| 1994 | 311 | #23 |
| 1993 | 249 | #33 |
| 1992 | 96 | #70 |
| 1991 | 70 | #85 |
| 1990 | 32 | #132 |
| 1989 | 27 | #136 |
| 1988 | 21 | #148 |
| 1987 | 12 | #185 |
| 1986 | 11 | #192 |
| 1985 | 25 | #142 |
| 1984 | 16 | #163 |
| 1983 | 17 | #161 |
| 1982 | 13 | #179 |
| 1981 | 20 | #160 |
| 1980 | 21 | #157 |
| 1979 | 15 | #176 |
| 1978 | 14 | #179 |
| 1977 | 12 | #194 |
| 1976 | 9 | #218 |
| 1975 | 9 | #216 |
| 1974 | 13 | #190 |
| 1973 | 9 | #215 |
| 1971 | 11 | #193 |
| 1969 | 5 | #246 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Dylan mean?
Uncertain, often linked with the sea
Welsh, the name of a sea-born figure in the Mabinogi.
Say it right
DILan
The story of Dylan
Dylan is a Welsh name. In the Mabinogi, the medieval collection of Welsh tales, Dylan is a son of Arianrhod who takes to the sea straight after his baptism and swims like a fish, earning the name “son of the wave”. The name is often explained with Welsh words for the sea or the tide, but scholars are not certain. It is a different name from Dillon, though the two sound alike.
In Ireland Dylan was first recorded in 1969. It rose sharply in the 1990s and reached number 7 in 1998. Its busiest year was 2001, with 538 babies, and it stayed in or near the top ten until 2012.
It did just as well in Northern Ireland, where its best position was 7th, in 2001.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Dylan (English proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Dylan (name)
- Wikipedia: Dylan ail Don
- CSO VSA50, Boys Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, Baby Names in Northern Ireland
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Dylan | 84 | 12,786 |
In Northern Ireland
#143 in 2025 with 16 babies. Best rank #7 (2001); 3,305 babies since 1997.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.
Dylan is also given to girls: 6 since 2002.