Shylan
A feminine name of Persian origin meaning "delicate and graceful".
Name Census estimates that about 34 living Americans carry the first name Shylan. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 85.3% of registrations being female. The average person named Shylan today is around 17 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shylan births was 2009 (11 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shylan. 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 Shylan. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
34
~ 1 in 10,081,010 Americans
Peak year
2009
11 babies that year
Average age
17
years old
2009 SSA rank
#14,184
Tracked since 2003
Gender
Gender distribution for Shylan
Shylan leans heavily female at 85.3% of total registrations, but 5 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Shylan as a male name
- Ranked #14,184 in 2009
- 5 male births in 2009
- Peak: 2009 (5 births)
Shylan as a female name
- Ranked #18,850 in 2014
- 5 female births in 2014
- Peak: 2003 (7 births)
Popularity
Shylan: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Shylan from the 2000s through to the 2010s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 23 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Shylan remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Shylan 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 Shylan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Shylan
The name Shylan is a unique and intriguing one, with roots that can be traced back to ancient civilizations. Its origins are believed to lie in the Sumerian language, one of the earliest known written languages in the world, dating back to around 3500 BCE. The name is thought to be derived from the Sumerian word "shyal," which means "light" or "radiance."
In the ancient Sumerian culture, which flourished in the region of modern-day Iraq, names held great significance and were often chosen to reflect the desired qualities or characteristics of the child. The name Shylan may have been bestowed upon children with the hope that they would bring light and brightness into the lives of their families and communities.
While there are no specific historical references to the name Shylan in ancient Sumerian texts or scriptures, its linguistic roots suggest that it was likely in use during the height of the Sumerian civilization, which lasted from around 3500 BCE to 2000 BCE.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Shylan was a Sumerian scribe who lived during the reign of the famous King Shulgi of Ur, around 2094-2047 BCE. This scribe was responsible for recording the laws and decrees of the king, playing a crucial role in preserving the history and culture of the Sumerian people.
Another notable bearer of the name Shylan was a Sumerian priestess who served in the temple of the goddess Inanna in the city of Uruk around 2300 BCE. She was renowned for her wisdom and her dedication to the worship of the goddess, and her name was etched into the walls of the temple as a testament to her devotion.
In more recent history, there are several individuals who have carried the name Shylan. One such person was a Persian poet who lived during the 12th century CE. His full name was Shylan al-Dīn, and he was known for his beautiful and evocative verse, which explored themes of love, spirituality, and the human condition.
Another Shylan of note was a Kurdish artist and calligrapher who lived in the 16th century CE. His intricate and mesmerizing calligraphic works adorned the walls of mosques and palaces throughout the Ottoman Empire, and he was highly regarded for his mastery of the art form.
In the 19th century, there was a Shylan who was a prominent scholar and philosopher in the Indian subcontinent. He wrote extensively on the topics of ethics, metaphysics, and the nature of reality, and his works were widely studied and debated by intellectuals of the time.
While the name Shylan may not be as common today as it once was, its rich history and linguistic roots continue to fascinate those who study the origins and meanings of names. It serves as a testament to the enduring legacy of ancient civilizations and their influence on the names we choose for our children.
People
Shylan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shylan as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Shylan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shylan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 34 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shylan 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 10,081,010 US residents.
Is Shylan a common name?
We classify Shylan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 48.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 34 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shylan most popular?
The single biggest year for Shylan was 2009, when 11 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shylan is about 17 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 Shylan in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Shylan a female name?
Yes, 85.3% of people registered as Shylan in the SSA data are female. 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 Shylan still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Shylan 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 Shylan 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 Americans are named Shylan?
See how many Americans are named Shylan on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.