Dalan
Masculine
Dalan is a short two-syllable name close to Dylan and Dillon, with a clear a in each syllable. In the Philippines the same letters are an everyday word for a road.
How old is the name Dalan?
Dalan first appears in US birth records in 1962 — 63 years ago. The typical Dalan alive today was born around 2001, making them about 24 years old. About 600 people named Dalan are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Dalan most popular?
Dalan peaked in 1998, reaching #2782 nationally. See the whole 1998 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
Origin, sound and short forms
Our story of Dalan
In Cebuano, one of the main languages of the southern Philippines, dalan means a road or path, and the word sits on street signs and in songs about going home. Dalan as an American name comes from somewhere nearer, most likely the family of Dylan and Dillon, respelled so that both vowels are the plain a of father or of cat. It is a name that happens to mean the way forward in another language, which is not a bad accident for a boy to carry.
Meaningnot established
Not established
No source records the origin of the American name Dalan. It may be a spelling of Dylan or Dillon, or a new build; no record says which.
Pronouncing Dalan
DAY-lun
Most families stress the first syllable. Some say DAL-un, closer to Dylan.
Nicknames for Dalan
Limited
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1962
- Most boys named
- 199829 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #2782reached in 1998
- Change vs 2022
- +33.3%8 in 2024, from 6
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Dalans among us
people named Dalan are estimated to be alive in the US today
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
Questions parents actually ask
Fashion outlook
Dalan sits outside the current charts, and that is its own kind of answer: naming cycles can only date the names they carried up. A name this rare has no decade stamped on it — it cannot go out of fashion, because it was never in.
Based on 146 years of naming cycles. How we read them
The trade-off
- It is short and easy to say.
- It sounds familiar because Dylan is familiar.
- It is rare as a spelling.
- People will write Dylan or Dalton.
- There is no recorded meaning to give when someone asks.
Nobody names a baby alone.
Put Dalan to the vote.
Add it to a family vote or a couple’s swipe deck — the other person gets one card, a simple answer and room to say why. No app, no account for them.
Only the people you invite can see your list.
Already decided on Dalan? Hide it among decoys and let them guess.
What they receive
Someone added a name to your list
Dalan
Masculine
Frequently asked
- How many Dalans are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 600 people named Dalan are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Dalan in 2025?
- Dalan is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 boy names.
- Will my child share the name Dalan with classmates?
- Dalan will almost certainly be the only one in school.
More D names
The most-given names starting with D, all years combined.
David#35 · Daniel#22 · Donald#690 · Dennis#707 · Douglas#807 · Dylan#41 · Danny#628 · Dale#1409
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Dalan? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Dalan and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
Compare side by sideIn a hurry? Just pick a winner — one tap, no sign-up, and you see how everyone else voted.
Weighing a whole shortlist? Add the rest in the builder, or settle it with a bracket.
Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
No advertising trackers and no data sellinghow we handle your dataindependent and founder-run, about Name Battle