Waylon
Waylon was the 56th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 5,408 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 166 places. More babies were named Waylon in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · English, Germanic
Say it WAY-lahn /ˈweɪlɑn/
- Rank in 2025
- #56 boys, up 47 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 5,408boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20255,408 babies
- Total since 1880
- 55,338babies recorded
What does the name Waylon mean?
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
Waylon popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 290 since 2013, 17 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #56 | 5,408 |
| 2020 | #103 | 3,588 |
| 2010 | #421 | 657 |
| 2000 | #1,082 | 131 |
| 1990 | #994 | 113 |
| 1980 | #419 | 387 |
| 1970 | #758 | 119 |
| 1960 | #3,072 | 9 |
| 1950 | #2,434 | 11 |
| 1940 | #1,678 | 18 |
| 1930 | #2,077 | 15 |
| 1920 | #3,198 | 9 |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Waylon, counting every spelling?
Waylon is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #59 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #56 for Waylon 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 Waylon?
5,408 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Waylon (1.50 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Waylon born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is about 1 in 36. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 2 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Waylon.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Waylon?
About 53,800 people born in the US named Waylon are alive today, with a median age of 6; half are between 3 and 11. That makes Waylon 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.
Waylon by state
How common Waylon was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in West Virginia (5.3×), Wyoming (4.6×), Kentucky (3.5×), Vermont (3.4×), Montana (3.4×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Rhode Island, Hawaii, New Jersey.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Waylon: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Waylon, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Waylon · Sibling names for Waylon
Questions about the name Waylon
What does Waylon 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 Waylon?
Waylon was the 56th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 5,408 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 166 places. More babies were named Waylon in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Waylon a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Waylon in the US.
Where is Waylon most popular?
In 2021–2025, Waylon was most common in West Virginia (15.13 per 1,000 boys), followed by Wyoming and Kentucky.