Boy name · Old English
Waylon
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: variant of Wayland, probably from craft, cunningWaylon is a boy's name that is of Old English origin: variant of Wayland, probably from craft, cunning. It is used in English.
- Meaning
- Variant of Wayland, probably from craft, cunning
- Origin
- Old English
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #56 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Waylon
As a boy's name, Waylon is of Old English origin: variant of Wayland, probably from craft, cunning. It is used in English.
Meaning checked against Behind the Name. How we research names
Waylon on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Waylon on 4 lists.
“Jennings made it the sound of outlaw country”
From Redneck names for boys, country music inspired boy names
“From an English surname based on Wayland, a smith of Germanic legend; country star Jennings”
From Cowboy names, western boy names
“Outlaw country vibes”
From Porch goose names, southern and country porch goose names
“Outlaw-country cool for a laid-back gelding”
From Horse names, horse names for geldings
How popular is Waylon?
- US rank in 2025
- #56
- 5,408 babies, 3,166 per million boys
- Best rank
- #56 in 2025
- 5,408 babies that year
- Babies since 1911
- At least 55,048
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 5 per million |
| 1920s | 10 per million |
| 1930s | 18 per million |
| 1940s | 12 per million |
| 1950s | 7 per million |
| 1960s | 17 per million |
| 1970s | 97 per million |
| 1980s | 105 per million |
| 1990s | 62 per million |
| 2000s | 168 per million |
| 2010s | 937 per million |
| 2020s | 2,737 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #196 | #162 | #142 | #113 | #103 | #69 | #66 | #63 | #65 | #56 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names with a similar meaning
- ElenaForm of Helen, probably from Greek torch (Greek, girl)
- LilianaLatinate form of Lillian, probably from Elizabeth or Lily (English, girl)
- AaronProbably Egyptian, meaning unknown; Hebrew theories say exalted (Hebrew, boy)
- AliyahVariant of Aaliyah, high, lofty, sublime (Arabic, girl)
- CelineVariant of Céline, from Caelinus, from Caelius or caelum, heaven (Latin, girl)
- ElianVariant of names beginning with Eli, such as Elijah (Hebrew, boy)
- AilanyVariant of Ailani, possibly Hawaiian, to rule as chief (Hawaiian, girl)
- AmayaVariant of Amaia, Basque for the end (Basque, girl)
- ArlethVariant of Arlette, from Herleva, possibly army and legacy (Germanic, girl)
- AvaVariant of Eve, life; in Persian, voice (Hebrew, girl)
Middle names for Waylon
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Old English
- EdgarWealthy spear (Old English, boy)
- AlfredElf counsel (Old English, boy)
- EduardRich guardian (Old English, boy)
- StormTempest (Old English, unisex)
- AlfredoElf counsel (Old English, boy)
- EduardoRich guardian (Old English, boy)
- GrahamFrom a surname from the place name Grantham, probably gravelly homestead (Old English, boy)
- HarperHarp player (Old English, unisex)
- KnoxRound hill (Old English, boy)
- LindenLime tree (Old English, unisex)
Waylon: common questions
What does the name Waylon mean?
Waylon is of Old English origin: variant of Wayland, probably from craft, cunning. Checked against Behind the Name.
Is Waylon a boy or girl name?
Waylon is mainly a boy's name. In 2025, 17 girls and 5,408 boys in the US were named Waylon, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name Waylon come from?
Waylon is of Old English origin: variant of Wayland, probably from craft, cunning. Today it is used in English.
How popular is the name Waylon?
Waylon ranked #56 in the US in 2025, with 5,408 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What middle names go with Waylon?
Middle names that flow well with Waylon include Basil, Ethan, Ezra, Finn and Grant. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.