Name
Dylan
Meaning
Dylan is a masculine name of Welsh origin meaning “son of the sea, great tide”.
In the Welsh Mabinogi, Dylan ail Don was a god who took to the waves the moment he was baptized, and all the seas mourned his death; his name is connected with Welsh words for flow and great tide. Poet Dylan Thomas inspired Bob Dylan's stage name, and between them they made this sea god a household sound.
A US top-50 boys' name for most of three decades.
Popularity in the United States
Boys
Ranked #41 in 2025 · peak #19 in 2004
Data: US Social Security Administration, top-1000 ranks.
At a glance
- Origin
- Welsh
- Gender
- Masculine
- Pronounced
- /DIL-an/
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Questions
Dylan is a masculine name of Welsh origin meaning “son of the sea, great tide”. In the Welsh Mabinogi, Dylan ail Don was a god who took to the waves the moment he was baptized, and all the seas mourned his death; his name is connected with Welsh words for flow and great tide.
Dylan is traditionally a masculine (boy) name. It is a US top-50 boys' name for most of three decades.
The name Dylan comes from Welsh. In the Welsh Mabinogi, Dylan ail Don was a god who took to the waves the moment he was baptized, and all the seas mourned his death; his name is connected with Welsh words for flow and great tide. Poet Dylan Thomas inspired Bob Dylan's stage name, and between them they made this sea god a household sound.
Dylan is pronounced DIL-an.
More names that mean ocean
Names that share this meaning.