Dilann
An Anglicized form of a Celtic name meaning "wanderer" or "bear."
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Dilann. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Dilann today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dilann births was 2014 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dilann. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Dilann. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2014
5 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2014 SSA rank
#12,553
Tracked since 2014
Popularity
Dilann: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Dilann by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Dilann during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Dilann
The name Dilann has its origins in the ancient Celtic language of Brittonic, spoken in parts of what is now Great Britain and France. It is believed to have emerged around the 5th or 6th century AD, derived from the elements "di" meaning "to go" and "lann" meaning "enclosure" or "clearing". This suggests the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near or frequented a clearing or open area.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Dilann can be found in the 9th century Welsh genealogical tract known as the Harleian genealogies. Here, a figure named Dilann is listed as a descendant of the legendary Welsh king Cunedda Wledig. While little is known about this individual, their inclusion in such an important historical document speaks to the antiquity of the name.
In the 11th century, a monk named Dilann is recorded as having lived at the monastery of St. Winwaloe in Brittany, France. His life and works are detailed in a Latin manuscript from the period, though few other details about him have survived.
Moving into the 12th century, we find a Dilann ap Gwilym mentioned in the Welsh prose tales known as the Mabinogion. This Dilann is described as a skilled archer and warrior, though his role in the narratives is relatively minor.
Centuries later, in the 16th century, a Dilann Jones is recorded as having been a member of the Welsh gentry and a landowner in the county of Montgomeryshire. Records from the time indicate he was involved in local politics and held positions of authority.
Finally, in the 19th century, we have Dilann Gwynne, a Welsh poet and writer born in 1818 and active in the literary circles of his time. While not widely known today, his works were published and celebrated during his lifetime, helping to keep the name alive in Welsh culture.
Throughout its long history, the name Dilann has maintained its roots in the Celtic languages and traditions of Britain and France. While never extremely common, it has persisted for over a millennium, carried by individuals from various walks of life, from monks and warriors to landowners and poets.
People
Dilann + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dilann as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with D
Other first names starting with D with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Dilann: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dilann?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dilann going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Dilann a common name?
We classify Dilann as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dilann most popular?
The single biggest year for Dilann was 2014, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dilann is about 12 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Dilann in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Dilann a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Dilann in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Dilann still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Dilann in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Dilann can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Dilann as a first name?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.