Dillin
Of Irish origin, a diminutive form of Dillon, meaning "like a lion".
Name Census estimates that about 535 living Americans carry the first name Dillin. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Dillin today is around 25 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dillin births was 1992 (42 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dillin. 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.
People living today
535
~ 1 in 640,662 Americans
Peak year
1992
42 babies that year
Average age
25
years old
2019 SSA rank
#12,643
Tracked since 1987
Popularity
Dillin: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Dillin from the 1980s through to the 2010s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 250 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Dillin 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 Dillin during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Dillins live
Origin
Meaning and history of Dillin
The name Dillin is believed to have originated from the Irish Gaelic language, with roots dating back to the early medieval period in Ireland. It is thought to be a variant spelling of the name Dillon, which itself is derived from the old Irish words "dil" meaning "loyal" or "faithful" and "uan" meaning "little."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dillin can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a historical chronicle compiled in the 17th century by Irish Franciscan monks. The annals mention a chieftain named Dillin Ua Fiachrach who lived in the 10th century and was a member of the Ua Fiachrach dynasty from County Sligo.
In medieval Ireland, the name Dillin was particularly popular among noble families and the Irish aristocracy. It is believed that the name was associated with traits such as loyalty, bravery, and honor, which were highly valued in Irish warrior culture.
One notable figure in Irish history who bore the name Dillin was Dillin Ó Móráin, a 12th-century Irish poet and scholar from County Tipperary. He was renowned for his poetic works, which celebrated the exploits of Irish kings and chieftains.
Another historical figure with the name Dillin was Dillin Ó Conchubhair, a 14th-century Irish nobleman and military leader who fought against the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland. He was a member of the powerful O'Conor dynasty and is remembered for his resistance against English rule.
In the 16th century, a Scottish nobleman named Dillin Cameron was a prominent figure in the Scottish Highlands. He was a member of the Clan Cameron and is believed to have been a faithful supporter of the Stuart monarchy during the Scottish Wars of Independence.
The name Dillin has also been recorded in various forms throughout history, such as Dillion, Dillian, and Dillane, particularly in areas with strong Irish cultural influences, such as parts of the British Isles and North America.
People
Dillin + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dillin 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
Dillin: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dillin?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 535 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dillin 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 640,662 US residents.
Is Dillin a common name?
We classify Dillin as "Very Rare". It ranks above 85.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 545 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dillin most popular?
The single biggest year for Dillin was 1992, when 42 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dillin is about 25 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Dillin a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Dillin 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.
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.