Boy · Welsh · International
Dylan
DylanSay it DIL-un
- Meaning today
- Son of the sea, great tide
- Original meaning
- "the name of a sea god in Welsh legend; word origin uncertain" Encyclopaedia Britannica, s.v. Dôn
- Say it
- DIL-un
- Other spellings
- Dillon, Dilan
Dylan
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Dylan meaning
Dylan is an international boy's name of Welsh origin.
Meaning today
Son of the sea, great tide
Original Welsh meaning
"the name of a sea god in Welsh legend; word origin uncertain"
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, s.v. Dôn · entry Dylan (Welsh sea god) · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
Dylan is an old Welsh name from the Mabinogi, the medieval Welsh tales. Britannica's account of the goddess Dôn describes Dylan as a sea god, one of the twin sons of the goddess Aranrhod and brother of the hero Lleu. From this legend come the popular meanings "son of the sea" and "great tide", but we could not confirm what the word itself means in a Welsh dictionary, so we treat those as traditional rather than established. The Welsh poet Dylan Thomas made the name known worldwide. It is short, easy to say and spelled the same in most languages.
References: Britannica, Dôn · Britannica, Aranrhod · Britannica Students, Dylan Thomas
Famous namesakes
- Dylan Thomas, Welsh poet
Popularity abroad
- #41 United States, boys 2025 (down 13 from 28 in 2024)
US Social Security Administration - #72 England and Wales, boys 2025
Office for National Statistics
Official birth registrations. India publishes no national name statistics.
Spellings
Dylan · Dillon · Dilan