Meaning and history
Dylan derives from Welsh dy, meaning "to, toward," and llanw, "tide, flow." In the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi, Dylan is the son of Arianrhod and twin brother of Lleu Llaw Gyffes; immediately after his baptism he enters the sea, swims like a fish, and is later accidentally killed by his uncle Gofannon. Some theories connect the character with an otherwise unattested earlier Celtic sea god. Notable bearers include Welsh poet Dylan Thomas and American musician Bob Dylan, born Robert Zimmerman, who adopted his surname from the poet's given name. Their prominence spread the name beyond Wales in the latter half of the 20th century, and a Beverly Hills 90210 character gave it another boost in the 1990s.
20062006: 13,171 births, rank #26
2007: 12,811 births, rank #29
2008: 11,710 births, rank #31
2009: 11,373 births, rank #30
2010: 10,520 births, rank #31
20112011: 9,792 births, rank #33
2012: 10,001 births, rank #31
2013: 10,127 births, rank #29
2014: 10,416 births, rank #29
2015: 10,298 births, rank #27
20162016: 9,720 births, rank #32
2017: 9,315 births, rank #29
2018: 8,610 births, rank #31
2019: 7,555 births, rank #39
2020: 6,857 births, rank #42
20212021: 6,767 births, rank #44
2022: 6,745 births, rank #42
2023: 7,074 births, rank #34
2024: 7,487 births, rank #28
20252025: 6,208 births, rank #41
Dylan has made a dramatic comeback. After first appearing in the US records in 1966, it fell to #928 by 1966, before climbing to #41 in 2025. Its highest annual birth count came in 2001, with 16,497 births.