Aylen comes from the Mapuche people of Chile and Argentina and is usually explained as "ember" or "clear", while the related Ayelén means "smiling" or "joy". It is well established in Argentina and has reached the United States mainly through Latino families. Aylen stood at number 8624 in 2000 and has climbed in fits and starts to number 1655 in 2025, its best rank so far, with 125 girls.