Baby Name Dylan: Popular and Poetic

Poetic Dylan brings to mind a musical icon, but it took 90s pop culture to push this name to the top.

Thanks to Urban Angel for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day. 

WHAT DOES THE NAME DYLAN MEAN?

In Celtic myth, the name Dylan belongs to a god of the sea. It translates to “great tide” from the words dy, meaning toward, and llanw, meaning tide.

Some argue that the name derives from dylanwad – influence.

Mostly, though, we think of this as a name straight out of the Mabinogion, all of those myths and legends.

It’s said that Dylan could swim like a fish, even as an infant.

The tales were first collected in writing beginning in the fourteenth century. But it wasn’t until the mid-nineteenth century that they became really popular. That’s because Lady Charlotte Guest translated them into English. Guest’s translation was wildly popular and had lasting influence, too.

Thanks to the legendary hero, the baby name Dylan has been traditional in Wales for years.

DYLAN THOMAS

The first famous Dylan is, appropriately, a son of Wales.

Dylan Thomas was born in Swansea, but grew up speaking English, thanks to his English teacher dad. His name is a nod to the legendary figure.

Thomas gets credit for familiarizing the world with his once-unusual name. He’s also responsible for adopting the Anglicized pronunciation. In Welsh, this sounds more like dull un.

The poet’s heyday was from the 1930s into the 1950s. We remember lines of his most enduring works, like “do not go gentle into that good-night.” But in the mid-twentieth century, he was equally well known for his lilting Welsh accent. Thomas read many of his works on BBC radio in the late 1940s.

In the 1950s, he toured the US, back when the concept of a poet touring to read his work didn’t really exist.

Thomas died young, his health issues exacerbated by heavy drinking, in 1953.

1953 also marks the first year the baby name Dylan appears in the US Social Security Administration data, with six boys receiving the name.

ROBERT ZIMMERMAN

Then along came another poet.

American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan was born Robert Zimmerman in Duluth, Minnesota in 1941.

He considered several names before landing on the one that he made famous. While still a student at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, he used the stage name Elston Gunn. 

In 1952, Gunsmoke, a Western that moved from radio to television, made Marshal Matt Dillon famous.

The singer may have originally used the stage name Bob Dillon, a nod to the fictional cowboy.

It’s said Bob came across the poetry of Dylan Thomas around that time. 

In any case, by 1962, he had moved to New York and legally changed his name.

When asked about the name change, he once explained: “You call yourself what you want to call yourself. This is the land of the free.”

Amen, Bob.

THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN’

Dylan scored his first hits in the mid-1960s. 

He was an unconventional rock star, with his gravelly voice. It would become the sound of a generation, with his politically-informed songs speaking to the concerns that defined the 1960s. 

It wasn’t just his music; Dylan himself performed in support of the Civil Rights movement, and to protest the war in Vietnam.

By 1966, Dylan’s adopted surname debuted on the US popularity charts, ranking #928. By 1970, it reached #457.

While the name continued to rise in use, the singer alone wasn’t enough to make Dylan a favorite.

BEVERLY HILLS BAD BOY

By 1988, Bob Dylan had achieved living icon status. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. And the surname hovered in the 100s, fitting in with 80s favorites like Kevin and Justin.

Then came Beverly Hills, 90210, first airing in 1990. 

The debut of Dylan McKay, a sixteen year-old bad boy and love interest for new-in-town Brenda Walsh, sent the name rising.

Twenty-something American actor Luke Perry played the role, opposite Shannen Doherty as Brenda. It’s hard to explain how very dominant this show, along with spin-off Melrose Place, was in 1990s pop culture.

The teen drama series ran until the year 2000.

Perry’s character was two-parts James Dean, with a motorcycle and a dangerous reputation. But he was at least one-part intellectual, too, known for quoting poetry and – gasp!- reading books.

Dylan cracked the US Top 100 for the first time in 1990.

By 1992, the name reached #28.

That’s a stratospheric rise. 

Other actors, like Dylan McDermott, Dylan Sprouse, and Dylan Baker, helped raise the name’s profile along the way. So did plenty of athletes and others.

HOW POPULAR IS THE NAME DYLAN?

By the time the show ended its run, baby name Dylan was well established as a boys’ favorite for the early twenty-first century.

In fact, the name Dylan continues to chart in the Top 100 of the United States. It came in at #34 in 2023. 

It’s a modern staple in other English-speaking countries, too, including Canada, as well as England and Wales. Dylan ranks in the Top 100 in all of those countries.

IS THE BABY NAME DYLAN UNISEX?

From early days, a handful of parents gave the baby name Dylan to their daughters. There were nine in 1969; 16 in 1980. It first ranked in the US Top 1000 for girls in 1993.

Drew Barrymore played a female Dylan in the re-boot of Charlie’s Angels in 2000. Designer Ralph Lauren welcomed daughter Dylan Lauren in 1974. She went on to open Dylan’s Candy Bar in 2001. The New York-based candy company is now world-famous.

The name remains in occasional use for girls, but has never reached the same heights of popularity as for boys. Call it gender-neutral, but that’s only partly accurate. 

As of 2023, Dylan ranked #648 for girls in the US.

MODERN TRADITIONAL FAVORITE

All of this makes the baby name Dylan a Welsh heritage choice with a serious Americana vibe. It’s become a modern traditional – the kind of name you wouldn’t have heard in 1950, but won’t be at all surprised to still hear in 2050.

We love a good surname, and the enduring fame of musician Bob Dylan puts this name in the company of Lennon and Hendrix.

And while much of the appeal is down to sound and style, the meaning helps, too. It’s a subtle choice for parents looking for a nature name with nautical ties. It can celebrate  a family’s love of the ocean, just like equally popular name Kai. 

All together, Dylan has become a fast favorite for parents. Dylan is among the most popular names for boys over the last three decades. It’s less traditional than David or Daniel, but in recent generations, has every bit as much staying power. That might make it the perfect name if you’re looking for something that feels strong and established, without being too classic.

What do you think of the baby name Dylan?

First published on May 11, 2010, this post was revised and updated on May 14, 2020 and again on November 6, 2024.