unisex name · in the US
Dillon
DIL-un (English)
- Origin Irish
- Gender Unisex (US)
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 75,751
the United States
#930
2025 births
Dillon has two unrelated sources that English cannot separate — an Irish surname of uncertain meaning and the Welsh Dylan, a sea god from the Mabinogi. It charts in five markets. It peaked in 1992, and holds 72,403 lifetime births.
- Dillon is a name of Irish origin.
- Peaked in 1992, when 5,082 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 11,277 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1892.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Dillon Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1890s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 12 |
| 1900s | 0 |
| 1910s | 127 |
| 1920s | 169 |
| 1930s | 123 |
| 1940s | 92 |
| 1950s | 76 |
| 1960s | 79 |
| 1970s | 483 |
| 1980s | 4,536 |
| 1990s | 32,839 |
| 2000s | 17,898 |
| 2010s | 7,496 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 2,340 |
What Dillon Means
Dillon means loyal if taken from the Irish surname, or sea if taken from the Welsh Dylan. The two proposals come from different languages and share nothing.
Where Dillon Comes From
Dillon anglicizes the Irish Ó Duilleáin, whose root is uncertain, and separately respells the Welsh Dylan — a figure in the fourth branch of the Mabinogi who takes to the sea immediately on being named and swims like a fish. Dylan Thomas made the Welsh name international, and Bob Dylan took it from him. So the modern Dillon may be Irish, may be Welsh by way of a poet, and English spelling keeps the question open.
Dillon in Use
Dillon peaked in the United States in 1992, when 5,082 babies were registered, and is falling. It now ranks 656th in Scotland on 4 births, 827th in England and Wales on 42, 920th in Ireland on 4 and 930th in the United States on 274, across 75,751 lifetime births in five markets. Three British and Irish markets rank it above America.
How Popular Is Dillon?
In 2025, Dillon was given to 294 babies in the United States, ranking #930 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Where Dillon Is Used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names That Peaked Alongside Dillon
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Dillon Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Dillon over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Boys' or Girls' Name?
Dillon is used differently depending on where you are. Each figure is the share of babies given the name who were girls, over the last ten years of that country's records.
- United States Both 11% girls · 4,606 babies
- England & Wales Boys' 7% girls · 631 babies
- Canada Boys' 10% girls · 231 babies
- Ireland Boys' 0% girls · 129 babies
How to Say Dillon
- English DIL-un /ˈdɪl.ən/
Dillon in Other Languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling Names for Dillon
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Dillon — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Dillon
What does the name Dillon mean?
Loyal through an Irish surname, or sea through the Welsh Dylan. The two are unrelated.
Is Dillon the same as Dylan?
Sometimes. Dylan is a Welsh sea figure from the Mabinogi; Dillon also anglicizes an Irish surname.
Did Bob Dylan take the name from a poet?
Yes — from Dylan Thomas, who made the Welsh name international.
How popular is Dillon?
656th in Scotland, its strongest market, and 930th in the United States.
Is Dillon a girl's or a boy's name?
Dillon is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Dillon?
Dillon has 2 syllables.
Is Dillon a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Dillon currently ranks #656 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.