Dylan is a Welsh name from the Mabinogion, where Dylan ail Don is a child of the sea; it is usually explained as "son of the sea" or "great tide". The poet Dylan Thomas made it known abroad, and folk singer Bob Dylan borrowed his stage name from him. In the United States Dylan ranked number 24 in 2000 and peaked at number 19 in 2003; it has held a place between number 27 and number 44 for the past decade and stands at number 41 among boys in 2025.