UK boy's name
Rylan
A masculine name derived from the red woodland dye called "rilan".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Rylan is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Rylan popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1675, with 15 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2012, with 171 births.
This profile covers 937 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, 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 9% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 997 living people in the UK are called Rylan. 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 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Rylan ranked #1675 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 15 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2012, when 171 boys were registered as Rylan.
- • Rylan ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #247 in 2012.
- • About 997 living people in the UK are estimated to have Rylan as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#1675
2024
Births in 2024
15
Latest year
Peak year
2012
171 births
Estimated living
997
2026
Meaning
What does Rylan mean?
The name Rylan is a modern English given name with uncertain origins. Some sources suggest it may be a variant spelling of the Irish name Rylann, which is derived from the Gaelic words "rí" meaning king and "lann" meaning land or territory. However, there is no definitive evidence of its precise roots.
Many believe Rylan emerged as a creative combination of popular names like Ryan and Dylan in the late 20th century. While its exact beginnings are unclear, the name gained popularity in the United States and other English-speaking countries in recent decades.
There are no known historical references or ancient texts that mention the name Rylan specifically. Its modern usage seems to be a relatively recent phenomenon, likely influenced by the growing trend of creating unique and inventive names during the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rylan dates back to the late 1970s, when a handful of children were given this name in the United States. However, it remained relatively uncommon until the early 2000s when its popularity began to rise steadily.
While there are no famous historical figures specifically named Rylan, here are five notable individuals who have carried this name in modern times:
1. Rylan Clark (born 1988), an English television presenter and model. 2. Rylan Sexton (born 1991), an American professional ice hockey player. 3. Rylan Ferrier (born 1994), a Canadian professional ice hockey player. 4. Rylan Schwartz (born 1991), a Canadian professional ice hockey player. 5. Rylan Milligan (born 1996), an American professional soccer player.
As a relatively new name, Rylan's history and origins remain somewhat ambiguous, but it has gained a foothold in popular culture and continues to be used as a unique and modern choice for baby names in various parts of the world.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Rylan over time
The chart below shows babies named Rylan registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Rylan, the clearest high point is 2012. The latest England and Wales figure is 15 births in 2024, compared with 171 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rylan by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Rylan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #2366 | 49 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1368 | 530 | 10 |
| 2000s | #855 | 318 | 10 |
| 1990s | #1371 | 40 | 4 |
Geography
Where Rylan is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Rylan. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Rylan ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #247 in 2012.
Across the UK
Rylan in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#728 in 2023
8 years of NRS records, 50 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#247 in 2012
4 years of NISRA records, 17 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Rylan
-
Rylan Clark
actor; model; television presenter; writer; autobiographer
English television and radio presenter, singer and model
1988-
Related
Names similar to Rylan
- Ryan 68,692
- Riley 37,992
- Robert 27,462
- Reuben 25,122
- Rhys 24,418
- Reece 24,329
- Rory 21,870
- Roman 16,609
- Ronnie 16,445
- Reggie 14,684
- Rowan 14,371
- Ralph 8,892
FAQ
Rylan: questions and answers
How popular is the name Rylan in the UK right now?
In 2024, Rylan was ranked #1675 for boys in England and Wales, with 15 births registered.
When was Rylan most popular?
The peak year on record was 2012, with 171 babies registered as Rylan in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Rylan?
A masculine name derived from the red woodland dye called "rilan".
How many people are called Rylan in the UK?
A total of 937 babies have been registered as Rylan across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 50 more in Scotland and 17 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Rylan most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Rylan ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #247 in 2012. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
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.