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Home › Baby Names Directory › Dillian

Dillian

♂ Boy

How to Pronounce Dillian

Pronounced DIL-ee-un /ˈdɪl.i.ən/Medium

Meaning: Dillian reads as an elaborated spelling of Dillon/Dylan; Dylan is Welsh, from 'dy' and 'llanw', usually glossed as 'great tide' or 'son of the sea', while Dillon is also an Irish surname. The meaning leans on Dylan.Low

In 30 seconds: Dillian is a respelling drawn from Dillon and Dylan - the Welsh name for 'great tide' or 'son of the sea' (said 'DIL-ee-un').
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Origin LowWelsh, Irish
MeaningDillian reads as an elaborated spelling of Dillon/Dylan; Dylan is Welsh, from 'dy' and 'llanw', usually glossed as 'great tide' or 'son of the sea', while Dillon is also an Irish surname. The meaning leans on Dylan.
U.S. rank (2021)#12616 ↘ Falling
2021 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1992
Total births (all-time)≈ 610

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 199219892021

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

The parent name Dylan is Welsh, tied to llanw, 'tide', and traditionally read as 'great tide' or 'son of the sea' - in myth Dylan was a sea-linked figure. Dillon shares the sound and is also an Irish surname. Dillian adds an -ian ending, giving the popular name a slightly formal twist.

It appears in American records from the late nineteen-eighties into the twenty-twenties, cresting in the early nineties alongside the Dylan and Dillon boom. It reads as a variant of that era and remains uncommon.

Did you know? Dillian rode the modern popularity of Dylan and Dillon but stayed a rare variant, peaking at only a few dozen boys a year around 1992.
Overall data confidence 50%
References - Dillian — respelling of Dillon/Dylan; Welsh 'great tide'

Variations

DillonDylanDillan

Nicknames

DillDilly

Famous Bearers

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If you like Dillian…

Dylan— the Welsh parent name, same 'great tide' meaning
Dillon— the Irish-surname form Dillian echoes
Killian— a like -illian boy's name of related sound
Dillan— a closely related spelling of the same name

Explore names like Dillian

By thememodernrarewelsh

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Dillian mean?

Dillian is a respelling drawn from Dillon and Dylan, Welsh for 'great tide' or 'son of the sea'.

How do you pronounce Dillian?

It's said DIL-ee-un /ˈdɪl.i.ən/ - three syllables, stress on the first.

Is Dillian a boy or girl name?

Dillian is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Dillian?

Dillian has always been an uncommon spelling in the U.S., far rarer than Dylan or Dillon.

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