boy's name
Waylon
WAY-lun
- Origin English
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 100 (US)
- Births on record 57,187
the United States
#56
2025 births
Waylon is a boy's name of English origin, generally traced to Wayland, the legendary smith of Germanic myth, whose name means something close to "battle land." Its modern American form owes almost everything to the country singer Waylon Jennings.
- Waylon is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 2025, when 5,425 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 611 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1911.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Waylon over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1910s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 34 |
| 1920s | 107 |
| 1930s | 187 |
| 1940s | 181 |
| 1950s | 141 |
| 1960s | 320 |
| 1970s | 1,604 |
| 1980s | 1,945 |
| 1990s | 1,206 |
| 2000s | 3,345 |
| 2010s | 17,726 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 28,542 |
What Waylon means
Waylon is usually read as land by the road, or connected to Wayland, whose name combines Germanic elements for battle and land. The road reading treats it as a place-derived surname; the Wayland reading connects it to myth.
Where Waylon comes from
Waylon is most often derived from Wayland, the master smith of Germanic and Norse legend — Wēland in Old English, Völundr in Norse — who appears on the eighth-century Franks Casket and in the poem Deor. His name is generally analyzed as containing elements meaning battle and land. A separate and simpler derivation treats Waylon as an English surname meaning land beside the road, from way plus land. The modern spelling with an o is American and recent: the singer Waylon Jennings, born in Texas in 1937, was named after a family variant and made the form widely known through his career in country music.
Waylon in use
Wayland the Smith appears on an eighth-century whalebone casket now in the British Museum.
How popular is Waylon?
In 2025, Waylon was given to 5,425 babies in the United States, ranking #56 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Where Waylon 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 Waylon
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Waylon also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Waylon over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
2 nicknames for Waylon
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Waylon 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 Waylon
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Waylon — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Waylon
What does the name Waylon mean?
Waylon is usually read as "land by the road," or traced to Wayland, the legendary Germanic smith.
Who was Wayland the Smith?
A master smith of Germanic and Norse legend, depicted on the eighth-century Franks Casket.
Is Waylon connected to Waylon Jennings?
The modern spelling and its popularity in America owe a great deal to the country singer.
How popular is the name Waylon?
In 2025, Waylon was given to 5,425 babies in the United States, ranking #56 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Is Waylon a girl's or a boy's name?
Waylon is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Waylon?
Waylon has 2 syllables.
When was Waylon most popular?
Waylon peaked in 2025, when 5,425 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Waylon?
Waylon is usually shortened to Way and Lon.
Is Waylon a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Waylon currently ranks #56 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.