Waylen is a modern spelling of Waylon, which country singer Waylon Jennings made famous; both go back to Wayland, the Old English Weland, the legendary "smith" of Germanic myth whose name is of uncertain meaning. The e spelling gives it the look of Kaylen and Jaylen. Waylen shot up from number 2230 in 2015 to the top 1000 in 2022, peaked at number 678 in 2023 and ranks number 849 among boys in 2025.