unisex name · in the US
Rylan
RY-lun (English)
- Origin English
- Gender Unisex (US)
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 48,132
the United States
#416
2025 births
Rylan has no documented source, and the little king gloss repeated for it is unsupported — the likeliest reading is rye land, an English place name, but even that is not established. It is on record from 1968.
- Rylan is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 2011, when 3,164 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 3,450 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1968.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Rylan Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1960s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1960s | 6 |
| 1970s | 118 |
| 1980s | 414 |
| 1990s | 1,446 |
| 2000s | 11,765 |
| 2010s | 20,563 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 6,848 |
What Rylan Means
Rylan has no established meaning. It is a modern name whose commonest reading is the land where rye grows, though that is inference from the spelling rather than evidence.
Where Rylan Comes From
Rylan is modern and undocumented. The likeliest account makes it an English place name from ryge, rye, joined to land — ground given to that crop. The little king reading widely repeated for it appears to come from confusing it with the Irish Ryan, whose own root is disputed and probably means little king only by folk etymology. It is on record from 1968, with almost all volume after 1995.
Rylan in Use
Rylan peaked in the United States in 2011, when 3,164 babies were registered, and is falling. It now ranks 416th in the United States on 961 births and 2,550th in England and Wales on 9, across 48,132 lifetime births in three markets. England and Wales ran its own peak of 171 births in 2012, and about 16 percent of recorded births are female.
How Popular Is Rylan?
In 2025, Rylan was given to 961 babies in the United States, ranking #416 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Where Rylan 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 Rylan
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Rylan Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Rylan over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Boys' or Girls' Name?
Rylan 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 22% girls · 13,112 babies
- Canada Both 12% girls · 1,501 babies
- England & Wales Boys' 0% girls · 99 babies
How to Say Rylan
- English RY-lun /ˈɹaɪ.lən/
Rylan 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 Rylan
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Rylan — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Rylan
What does the name Rylan mean?
Nothing established. Rye land is the likeliest reading.
Does it mean little king?
No. That comes from confusing it with Ryan, where the reading is itself folk etymology.
How old is the name?
Records begin in 1968, with almost all volume after 1995.
How popular is Rylan?
416th in the United States, down from a 2011 peak of 3,164 births.
Is Rylan a girl's or a boy's name?
Rylan is used for both girls and boys. About 15% of recorded births with this name are girls.
How many syllables are in Rylan?
Rylan has 2 syllables.
Is Rylan a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Rylan currently ranks #416 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.