| Dylan | Evan | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Sea, son of the wave | God is gracious |
| Origin | welsh | welsh |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | DIL-an | EV-uhn |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1953 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2001 (16,497) | 2007 (10,295) |
| In 2025 | 6,208 | 2,412 |
| Trend | Declining | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Dylan | Evan |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 41,138 | 17,014 |
| 2010s | 96,354 | 64,762 |
| 2000s | 140,125 | 92,144 |
| 1990s | 122,074 | 59,396 |
| 1980s | 14,171 | 32,484 |
| 1970s | 4,036 | 7,870 |
| 1960s | 684 | 5,084 |
| 1950s | 97 | 2,989 |
| 1940s | 0 | 1,545 |
| 1930s | 0 | 1,175 |
| 1920s | 0 | 1,511 |
| 1910s | 0 | 1,130 |
| 1900s | 0 | 218 |
| 1890s | 0 | 187 |
| 1880s | 0 | 192 |
From Welsh, traditionally interpreted as containing an element meaning 'sea' or 'tide'; in medieval Welsh myth Dylan ail Don is a sea figure who takes to the waves at birth. The exact derivation of the first element is debated, but the sea association is ancient.
An anglicisation of the Welsh Iefan/Ifan, a form of John, ultimately from Hebrew 'Yochanan' meaning 'God is gracious.' A John-root grace name.
Dylan is more popular than Evan today: about 6,208 US babies were given the name Dylan in 2025, compared with 2,412 named Evan.
Dylan means Sea, son of the wave (welsh origin), while Evan means God is gracious (welsh origin).
In US records, Dylan first appears in 1953 and Evan in 1880, so Evan has the longer recorded history.