Dylin
A name derived from the Welsh elements "di" (great) and "llin" (line or river).
Name Census estimates that about 756 living Americans carry the first name Dylin. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 82.5% of registrations being male. The average person named Dylin today is around 21 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dylin births was 2003 (46 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dylin. 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
756
~ 1 in 453,379 Americans
Peak year
2003
46 babies that year
Average age
21
years old
2024 SSA rank
#10,144
Tracked since 1990
Gender
Gender distribution for Dylin
Dylin leans heavily male at 82.5% of total registrations, but 134 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Dylin as a male name
- Ranked #10,144 in 2024
- 7 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2003 (37 births)
Dylin as a female name
- Ranked #14,286 in 2018
- 6 female births in 2018
- Peak: 2012 (13 births)
Popularity
Dylin: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Dylin from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 356 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Dylin 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 Dylin during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Dylins live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. California, Florida, Michigan recorded the most babies named Dylin, while Ohio, Michigan, Florida recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 6 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Dylin
The name Dylin is of Welsh origin, derived from the Welsh name Dylan, which is believed to have originated from the Celtic word "dylyn" meaning "sea, ocean, or great wave." This suggests that the name may have been associated with coastal regions or maritime communities in ancient Wales.
The earliest recorded use of the name Dylan can be traced back to the 6th century AD, when it was mentioned in the ancient Welsh text, the Book of Taliesin. This text contains a collection of poems attributed to the legendary Welsh bard, Taliesin, who lived during the 6th century.
One of the most notable historical figures bearing the name Dylan was Dylan Ail Don, a 6th-century Welsh prince and warrior who fought against the invading Anglo-Saxons. He is celebrated in Welsh folklore and literature for his bravery and leadership during this turbulent period.
In the 12th century, the name appears in the works of the renowned Welsh historian and cleric, Gerald of Wales, who wrote about a Welsh nobleman named Dylan ap Rhys. This suggests that the name was still in use among the Welsh nobility during the medieval period.
During the Renaissance era, the name gained popularity among Welsh poets and writers, including Dylan Siôn Mawddwy (c. 1548-1618), a renowned Welsh poet and scholar who wrote extensively in both Welsh and Latin.
Another notable figure with the name Dylin was Dylan Thomas (1914-1953), a celebrated Welsh poet and writer who is widely regarded as one of the most influential literary figures of the 20th century. His works, such as "Under Milk Wood" and "Do not go gentle into that good night," have become classics of modern poetry.
Other historical figures with the name Dylin include Dylan Marlais Thomas (1914-1952), a Welsh journalist and writer who was the cousin of Dylan Thomas; Dylan Cozens (c. 1575-1651), an English-Welsh chaplain and writer; and Dylan Jones (born 1961), a Welsh journalist, author, and editor of renowned publications like GQ and Men's Vogue.
While the name Dylin has its roots in ancient Welsh culture and language, it has since gained popularity worldwide, particularly in anglophone countries, where it is sometimes spelled as "Dyllin" or "Dyllan." However, the historical and cultural significance of the name remains closely tied to its Welsh origins and the rich literary and artistic traditions of Wales.
People
Dylin + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dylin 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
Dylin: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dylin?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 756 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dylin 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 453,379 US residents.
Is Dylin a common name?
We classify Dylin as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 767 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dylin most popular?
The single biggest year for Dylin was 2003, when 46 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dylin is about 21 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Dylin a male name?
Yes, 82.5% of people registered as Dylin 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.