At a glance
- U.S. rank 2025
- #929 of boy names
- Babies in 2025
- 253 (0.014% of boys)
- Trend
- Slipping #668 in 2020 to #929 in 2025
- Peak
- #73 in 1992
- First recorded
- 1892
Meaning of Dillon
Dillon is a friendly Irish-American charmer that carries two tales in its back pocket. On one branch of the family tree it springs from the Norman-French “de Lion,” a knightly nickname for someone known for steadfast courage; on the other, it echoes the old Welsh sea-spirit “Dylan,” evoking loyalty as deep as the tides. Either way, the meaning circles back to strength and faithfulness—pretty solid qualities to pin on a brand-new human. In the States, Dillon quietly sailed along for decades before catching a wave in the late ’80s and ’90s, helped by Hollywood’s Matt Dillon and the enduring cool of Bob Dylan’s namesake spelling. While its popularity has ebb-and-flowed since then, the name still lands in the hundreds of nurseries each year, proof that parents keep returning to its easygoing, two-syllable snap: DIL-uhn. Picture a future Dillon—steady as a lighthouse, but never afraid to dive into adventure—and it’s easy to see why this classic-with-a-twist keeps finding fresh shorelines.
How to pronounce Dillon
English
- Pronounced DIL-uhn /ˈdɪl.ən/
Popularity of Dillon in the U.S.
Dillon was the #929 boy name in the U.S. in 2025, with 253 babies. It peaked at #73 in 1992 and has been in the top 1,000 since 1979. It first appears in the records in 1892.
- Rank among U.S. boy names (right scale, #1 at the top)
Year-by-year table, 1892–2025 116 rows
| Year | Babies | Rank | vs previous year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 253 | 929 | ▼ 67 |
| 2024 | 280 | 862 | ▼ 95 |
| 2023 | 336 | 767 | ▼ 43 |
| 2022 | 360 | 724 | ▼ 55 |
| 2021 | 403 | 669 | ▼ 1 |
| 2020 | 392 | 668 | ▼ 28 |
| 2019 | 421 | 640 | ▼ 48 |
| 2018 | 463 | 592 | ▼ 67 |
| 2017 | 543 | 525 | ▼ 66 |
| 2016 | 670 | 459 | ▼ 11 |
| 2015 | 686 | 448 | ▼ 51 |
| 2014 | 787 | 397 | ▼ 18 |
| 2013 | 795 | 379 | ▼ 27 |
| 2012 | 872 | 352 | ▼ 7 |
| 2011 | 878 | 345 | ▼ 41 |
| 2010 | 1,055 | 304 | ▼ 12 |
| 2009 | 1,131 | 292 | ▼ 26 |
| 2008 | 1,308 | 266 | ▼ 31 |
| 2007 | 1,549 | 235 | ▼ 12 |
| 2006 | 1,610 | 223 | ▼ 20 |
| 2005 | 1,897 | 203 | ▼ 6 |
| 2004 | 1,951 | 197 | ▼ 9 |
| 2003 | 2,011 | 188 | ▲ 13 |
| 2002 | 1,847 | 201 | ▼ 26 |
| 2001 | 2,141 | 175 | ▼ 6 |
| 2000 | 2,263 | 169 | ▼ 27 |
| 1999 | 2,682 | 142 | ▼ 8 |
| 1998 | 2,838 | 134 | ▼ 2 |
| 1997 | 2,887 | 132 | ▼ 11 |
| 1996 | 3,025 | 121 | ▲ 1 |
| 1995 | 3,035 | 122 | ▼ 21 |
| 1994 | 3,534 | 101 | ▼ 11 |
| 1993 | 4,282 | 90 | ▼ 17 |
| 1992 | 5,062 | 73 | ▲ 30 |
| 1991 | 3,634 | 103 | ▲ 81 |
| 1990 | 1,682 | 184 | ▲ 67 |
| 1989 | 1,027 | 251 | ▲ 42 |
| 1988 | 787 | 293 | ▲ 14 |
| 1987 | 700 | 307 | ▲ 22 |
| 1986 | 603 | 329 | ▲ 107 |
| 1985 | 381 | 436 | ▲ 79 |
| 1984 | 275 | 515 | ▲ 38 |
| 1983 | 231 | 553 | ▲ 119 |
| 1982 | 170 | 672 | ▲ 10 |
| 1981 | 161 | 682 | ▼ 11 |
| 1980 | 166 | 671 | ▲ 204 |
| 1979 | 99 | 875 | ▲ 176 |
| 1978 | 69 | 1,051 | ▼ 32 |
| 1977 | 71 | 1,019 | ▲ 171 |
| 1976 | 52 | 1,190 | ▲ 48 |
| 1975 | 47 | 1,238 | ▼ 103 |
| 1974 | 52 | 1,135 | ▲ 265 |
| 1973 | 36 | 1,400 | ▲ 620 |
| 1972 | 20 | 2,020 | ▼ 33 |
| 1971 | 21 | 1,987 | ▲ 306 |
| 1970 | 16 | 2,293 | ▲ 1,302 |
| 1969 | 7 | 3,595 | ▲ 78 |
| 1968 | 6 | 3,673 | ▼ 688 |
| 1967 | 8 | 2,985 | ▲ 1 |
| 1966 | 8 | 2,986 | ▼ 206 |
| 1965 | 9 | 2,780 | ▲ 1,259 |
| 1964 | 5 | 4,039 | ▼ 995 |
| 1963 | 8 | 3,044 | ▼ 196 |
| 1962 | 9 | 2,848 | ▼ 439 |
| 1961 | 12 | 2,409 | ▲ 928 |
| 1960 | 7 | 3,337 | ▲ 282 |
| 1959 | 6 | 3,619 | back (not recorded in 1958) |
| 1957 | 8 | 3,024 | ▼ 55 |
| 1956 | 8 | 2,969 | ▼ 5 |
| 1955 | 8 | 2,964 | ▼ 515 |
| 1954 | 11 | 2,449 | ▲ 260 |
| 1953 | 9 | 2,709 | ▼ 556 |
| 1952 | 13 | 2,153 | ▲ 1,211 |
| 1951 | 6 | 3,364 | ▼ 343 |
| 1950 | 7 | 3,021 | ▼ 684 |
| 1949 | 11 | 2,337 | ▲ 979 |
| 1948 | 6 | 3,316 | ▼ 454 |
| 1947 | 8 | 2,862 | ▼ 832 |
| 1946 | 13 | 2,030 | ▲ 544 |
| 1945 | 8 | 2,574 | ▼ 265 |
| 1944 | 10 | 2,309 | ▼ 323 |
| 1943 | 14 | 1,986 | ▲ 726 |
| 1942 | 8 | 2,712 | ▼ 221 |
| 1941 | 9 | 2,491 | ▲ 968 |
| 1940 | 5 | 3,459 | ▼ 1,300 |
| 1939 | 11 | 2,159 | ▲ 26 |
| 1938 | 11 | 2,185 | ▲ 294 |
| 1937 | 9 | 2,479 | ▼ 295 |
| 1936 | 11 | 2,184 | ▼ 57 |
| 1935 | 12 | 2,127 | ▼ 344 |
| 1934 | 16 | 1,783 | ▲ 585 |
| 1933 | 10 | 2,368 | ▼ 373 |
| 1932 | 14 | 1,995 | ▼ 68 |
| 1931 | 15 | 1,927 | ▲ 152 |
| 1930 | 14 | 2,079 | ▲ 687 |
| 1929 | 9 | 2,766 | ▼ 944 |
| 1928 | 18 | 1,822 | ▲ 476 |
| 1927 | 13 | 2,298 | ▼ 578 |
| 1926 | 20 | 1,720 | ▲ 369 |
| 1925 | 15 | 2,089 | ▼ 195 |
| 1924 | 18 | 1,894 | ▼ 78 |
| 1923 | 19 | 1,816 | ▲ 136 |
| 1922 | 17 | 1,952 | ▼ 123 |
| 1921 | 19 | 1,829 | ▼ 135 |
| 1920 | 21 | 1,694 | ▲ 571 |
| 1919 | 13 | 2,265 | ▼ 192 |
| 1918 | 15 | 2,073 | ▼ 318 |
| 1917 | 18 | 1,755 | ▼ 250 |
| 1916 | 22 | 1,505 | ▲ 463 |
| 1915 | 14 | 1,968 | ▼ 360 |
| 1914 | 15 | 1,608 | ▼ 297 |
| 1913 | 16 | 1,311 | ▲ 958 |
| 1912 | 6 | 2,269 | ▼ 979 |
| 1911 | 8 | 1,290 | back (not recorded in 1896–1910) |
| 1895 | 6 | 978 | back (not recorded in 1893–1894) |
| 1892 | 6 | 956 | new |
Dillon by state
Dillon ranks #330 in West Virginia (2025).
Rank by state 23 states
| State | Rank | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| West Virginia | 330 | 5 |
| Louisiana | 450 | 10 |
| Connecticut | 498 | 5 |
| Oregon | 529 | 6 |
| Maryland | 571 | 8 |
| Massachusetts | 620 | 7 |
| Kentucky | 625 | 6 |
| Illinois | 677 | 13 |
| Alabama | 765 | 5 |
| New Jersey | 766 | 8 |
| North Carolina | 775 | 11 |
| Michigan | 829 | 8 |
| Arizona | 844 | 6 |
| Indiana | 844 | 6 |
| Pennsylvania | 846 | 9 |
| California | 862 | 27 |
| Florida | 958 | 14 |
| Virginia | 971 | 6 |
| Georgia | 990 | 8 |
| Tennessee | 1,040 | 5 |
| Texas | 1,070 | 21 |
| New York | 1,119 | 10 |
| Ohio | 1,267 | 5 |
Notable people named Dillon
- Dillon Danis is an American former submission grappler, MMA fighter, and boxer who currently holds the Misfits MMA Light Heavyweight Championship and has competed in Bellator and Pan Jiu-Jitsu events.
- Dillon Hart Francis, an American DJ known as DJ Hanzel, popularized moombahton and developed its heavier variants, moombahcore and EDM trap.
- Dillon Michael Tate is a pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays who made his MLB debut with the Baltimore Orioles in 2019.
- Dillon Everett Thomas is an American professional baseball outfielder currently with the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, having previously played in MLB for the Seattle Mariners and Los Angeles Angels.
- Dillon Quirke was an Irish hurler who played for Clonoulty–Rossmore and the Tipperary senior team.
More people named Dillon 10 more
- Dillon Thomas Powers is an American midfielder currently playing for Orange County SC, with previous experience in MLS and clubs in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
- Dillon Gordon is a former American professional football offensive tackle who played at LSU and was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2016.
- Dillon Phillips is an English professional goalkeeper for Hull City in the EFL Championship.
- Dillon Mitchell is a professional football wide receiver for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, having played college ball at Oregon and been drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in 2019.
- Dillon Gabriel is a professional quarterback for the Cleveland Browns, drafted in 2025 after playing college football for UCF, Oklahoma, and Oregon.
- Dillon Paul Serna is a former American professional soccer midfielder who played for Colorado Rapids in MLS and for Sporting Kansas City II and Colorado Springs Switchbacks in the USL Championship.
- Dillon, a Brazilian singer-songwriter based in Germany, gained acclaim for her praised debut album in 2011 and a positively reviewed follow-up in 2014.
- Dillon Sean Maples is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played for the Chicago Cubs from 2017 to 2021.
- Dillon du Preez is a retired South African cricketer who played for the Eagles and Royal Challengers Bangalore and now serves as interim head coach of the South Africa women's national team.
- Dillon Mitchell is an American college basketball player currently with the St. John's Red Storm, having previously played for the Cincinnati Bearcats and Texas Longhorns.