Waylen
Waylen was the 849th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 289 babies. Its best year was 2023, when it ranked 678th with 403 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 1,381 places. More babies were named Waylen in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Waylon) Origin uncertain · English, Germanic
- Rank in 2025
- #849 boys, up 677 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 289boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2023403 babies
- Total since 1880
- 2,615babies recorded
What does the name Waylen mean?
Waylen is a spelling of Waylon, pronounced the same way, so it shares Waylon's meaning and origin.
Waylon is a variant of Wayland, the English form of Weland, the master smith of Germanic legend (Old Norse Völundr). Wiktionary traces Wayland to an Old English and Proto-Germanic name, but the meaning of that ancient name is not clear. Wayland also became an English surname and place name. The Waylon spelling owes its popularity to the country singer Waylon Jennings, who was born Wayland in 1937 and changed the spelling of his name.
Wēland (Old English, “legendary smith”)*Wē₂landuz (Proto-Germanic, “name of the smith”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. The link to Wayland and Waylon Jennings is clear; the meaning of the Germanic name Weland itself is not established.
Related names: Wayland, Waylen, Weylin.
See also: English names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Waylon', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wiktionary, entry 'Wayland', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Waylon Jennings', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Waylen popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 63 since 2017.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #849 | 289 |
| 2020 | #1,526 | 110 |
| 2010 | #3,705 | 29 |
| 2000 | #8,173 | 8 |
| 1990 | — | — |
| 1980 | #5,507 | 7 |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Waylen, counting every spelling?
Waylen is a spelling of Waylon, a name family that ranked #59 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #849 for Waylen on its own. Together these spellings went to 5,830 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waylon | 5,408 | #56 | 24,778 |
| Waylen | 289 | #849 | 1,429 |
| Waylan | 51 | #2,599 | 260 |
| Waylin | 31 | #3,652 | 136 |
| Waylyn | 24 | #4,381 | 135 |
| Waelyn | 10 | #8,211 | 55 |
| Whalen | 8 | #9,655 | 54 |
| Weylin | 9 | #8,869 | 54 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Waylen?
289 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Waylen (0.08 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Waylen born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 29 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Waylen.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Waylen?
About 2,500 people born in the US named Waylen are alive today, with a median age of 4; half are between 3 and 10. That makes Waylen a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Waylen by state
How common Waylen was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Kentucky (2.5×), Oklahoma (2.4×), Arkansas (2.3×), Missouri (2.1×), Indiana (2.1×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Arizona, Maryland, Colorado.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Waylen: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Waylen, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Waylen
What does Waylen mean?
The origin of Waylon is uncertain: the link to Wayland and Waylon Jennings is clear; the meaning of the Germanic name Weland itself is not established.
How popular is the name Waylen?
Waylen was the 849th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 289 babies. Its best year was 2023, when it ranked 678th with 403 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 1,381 places. More babies were named Waylen in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Waylen a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Waylen in the US.
Where is Waylen most popular?
In 2021–2025, Waylen was most common in South Dakota (0.54 per 1,000 boys), followed by Idaho and Kentucky.