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Home › Baby Names Directory › Dillan

Dillan

♂ Boy

Pronounced DIHL-uhn /ˈdɪl.ən/Medium

Meaning: To, towardMedium

In 30 seconds: Dillan is an English spelling of Dylan, recorded here with the sense 'to, toward.'
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Origin MediumEnglish
MeaningTo, toward
U.S. rank (2024)#2878 ↗ Rising
2024 U.S. births44 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1992
Total births (all-time)≈ 6,966

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 199219752024

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Dillan is a respelling of the Welsh-rooted name Dylan, given here through English. The data ties it to the meaning 'to, toward,' and it sits alongside the spellings Dillon and Dylan.

Actors Dylan McDermott (1961-present) and Dylan Walsh (1963-present) carry the standard form. Dillan simply shifts the y to an i, a small change that softens the look on the page.

Did you know? Dillan is a spelling variant of Dylan, so it keeps the same core meaning of 'to, toward' while changing the visual style.
Overall data confidence 78%
Behind the Name - Dillan — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

DillonDylan

Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

  • ★Dylan McDermott (1961–present)
    Male public figure listed on Behind the Name.
  • ★Dylan Walsh (1963–present)
    Male public figure listed on Behind the Name.

If you like Dillan…

Dylan— The standard form that Dillan respells, listed among its variations.
Dillon— Another spelling of the same name in Dillan's variation list.
Declan— Shares the -an ending and the same easy two-syllable sound.
Deklan— a similarly popular pick
Daylan— a similarly popular pick

Explore names like Dillan

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Dillan mean?

Dillan is usually explained as meaning 'to, toward' and is most often linked with English tradition.

How do you pronounce Dillan?

It's commonly said DIHL-uhn /ˈdɪl.ən/.

Is Dillan a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Dillan is used as a boy name.

How popular is Dillan?

In 2024, Dillan ranked #2878 in the U.S. for boys, with 44 births recorded.

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