Waylyn
A variant spelling of the Old English name Wayland meaning "way traveler".
Name Census estimates that about 338 living Americans carry the first name Waylyn. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 68.8% of registrations being male. The average person named Waylyn today is around 6 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Waylyn births was 2023 (51 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Waylyn. 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
338
~ 1 in 1,014,066 Americans
Peak year
2023
51 babies that year
Average age
6
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,875
Tracked since 2007
Gender
Gender distribution for Waylyn
Waylyn is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 340 total registrations, 234 (68.8%) were male and 106 (31.2%) were female.
Waylyn as a male name
- Ranked #3,875 in 2024
- 29 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2023 (37 births)
Waylyn as a female name
- Ranked #7,905 in 2024
- 14 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2021 (17 births)
Popularity
Waylyn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Waylyn from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 195 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Waylyn 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 Waylyn 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 Waylyn
The name Waylyn has its origins in the ancient Gaelic language, dating back to the 5th century CE. It was derived from the Old Irish word "waelynn," which meant "wanderer" or "traveler." The name was commonly used among the Celtic tribes that inhabited the regions of modern-day Ireland and parts of Scotland.
Waylyn was a popular name during the medieval period, particularly among the noble families of Ireland. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, where a chieftain named Waylyn mac Duibh is mentioned in the year 1022 CE.
In the 12th century, a renowned Irish poet and bard named Waylyn Óg is said to have composed numerous works celebrating the heroic deeds of Irish warriors and kings. His poems were widely recited throughout the Gaelic realms and played a significant role in preserving the oral traditions of the time.
During the Renaissance period, a Scottish nobleman named Waylyn Mackenzie (1560-1628) gained prominence for his role in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. He was a staunch supporter of the Scottish monarch and is remembered for his bravery and loyalty on the battlefield.
In the 18th century, a notable figure bearing the name Waylyn was the Irish poet and playwright Waylyn O'Carolan (1670-1738). He was renowned for his compositions in the traditional Irish harp style and is considered one of the last great bardic poets of the Gaelic tradition.
Another prominent individual with the name Waylyn was the Welsh explorer and cartographer Waylyn Jones (1789-1856). He was one of the earliest Europeans to map the uncharted territories of the American West and is credited with documenting numerous Native American tribes and their customs.
Throughout history, the name Waylyn has maintained a strong connection to its Celtic roots, symbolizing a spirit of adventure and exploration. While its popularity has waxed and waned over the centuries, it remains a unique and distinctive name with a rich cultural heritage.
People
Waylyn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Waylyn as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with W
Other first names starting with W with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Waylyn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Waylyn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 338 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Waylyn 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 1,014,066 US residents.
Is Waylyn a common name?
We classify Waylyn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 80.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 340 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Waylyn most popular?
The single biggest year for Waylyn was 2023, when 51 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Waylyn is about 6 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 Waylyn in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Waylyn a male name?
Yes, 68.8% of people registered as Waylyn 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 Waylyn still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Waylyn 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 Waylyn 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 are named Waylyn?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.