NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Dillen

Variant of Dylan, a masculine Welsh name meaning "Great sea".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2014. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Dillen is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Dillen popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2014 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4632, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1999, with 3 births.

This profile covers 12 England and Wales registrations across 4 recorded years from 1999 to 2014. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 100% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 12 living people in the UK are called Dillen. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2015 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Dillen ranked #4632 for boys in England and Wales in 2014, with 3 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 1999, when 3 boys were registered as Dillen.
  • About 12 living people in the UK are estimated to have Dillen as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#4632

2014

Births in 2014

3

Latest year

Peak year

1999

3 births

Estimated living

12

2026

Meaning

What does Dillen mean?

The name Dillen is a variant of the English name Dylan, which has its origins in the Welsh language. The Welsh name Dylân is a diminutive form of the Welsh elements "dil" meaning "great" or "famous" and "ân" meaning "born of" or "descendant of." The name Dylân first appeared in the Welsh Triads, a collection of traditional stories and folk tales from the Middle Ages.

The name Dillen is believed to have emerged as a spelling variation of Dylan, particularly among English-speaking populations. One of the earliest recorded instances of this spelling can be found in the book "The Peerage of England" by John Philipot, published in 1625, which mentions a person named "Dillen ap Edred."

In the 16th century, a notable figure named Dillen Petty (born around 1530) was a Welsh poet and member of the Gorsedd, a community of Welsh poets and scholars. His works were preserved in the manuscript collection known as the "Red Book of Hergest."

Another historical figure with the name Dillen was Dillen Williams (1656-1712), a Welsh clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Llanbedr-Dyffryn-Clwyd in Denbighshire, Wales. He published several religious works, including a translation of the Book of Common Prayer into Welsh.

In the 19th century, Dillen Woolcott (1804-1872) was an English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Church of St. Barnabas in Pimlico and the Royal Philharmonic Hall.

More recently, Dillen Malik (1922-2002) was a Pakistani military officer and diplomat who served as the Ambassador of Pakistan to several countries, including the United States and the Soviet Union.

While the name Dillen is relatively uncommon, it has a rich history rooted in Welsh culture and has been borne by notable figures throughout the centuries, particularly in Wales, England, and parts of the British Isles.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Dillen over time

The chart below shows babies named Dillen registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1999 to 2014. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Dillen, the clearest high point is 1999. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2014, compared with 3 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Dillen
01223199920062014

Decades

Dillen by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Dillen was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2010s #4719 6 2
2000s #3225 3 1
1990s #2943 3 1

Related

Names similar to Dillen

FAQ

Dillen: questions and answers

How popular is the name Dillen in the UK right now?

In 2014, Dillen was ranked #4632 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.

When was Dillen most popular?

The peak year on record was 1999, with 3 babies registered as Dillen in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Dillen?

Variant of Dylan, a masculine Welsh name meaning "Great sea".

How many people are called Dillen in the UK?

A total of 12 babies have been registered as Dillen across the 4 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.