I’m starting to seriously consider the name Dealan, but as perhaps you can see, my idea of [name_f]Dillin[/name_f] is somewhat mixed up. (Note: I’m joking! Dealan and [name_f]Dillin[/name_f] are not in the running.)
[name_f]My[/name_f] biggest concern is: [name_u]Dylan[/name_u] or [name_u]Dillon[/name_u].
When I think of the name, I think of [name_m]Matt[/name_m] [name_u]Dillon[/name_u] from Gunsmoke (my childhood crush). [name_m]Bob[/name_m] [name_u]Dylan[/name_u] doesn’t immediately occur to me, but I’m okay with that association as I realize that’s probably gonna be my dad’s first thought.
It seems like [name_u]Dylan[/name_u] and [name_u]Dillon[/name_u] may come from different places. [name_u]Dillon[/name_u] is generally said to be [name_u]Irish[/name_u] and mean “like a lion” or “loyal” whereas [name_u]Dylan[/name_u] is apparently Welsh and means “from the sea.”
I kind of prefer [name_u]Dillon[/name_u] in that way, especially given this article (may not be accurate but “while I breathe I hope” just stuck out to me as such a beautiful concept as someone who had mental health issues growing up).
Other male names on my list: [name_u]Archer[/name_u], [name_m]Becket[/name_m], [name_u]Flynn[/name_u], [name_m]Allen[/name_m], and [name_u]Hudson[/name_u]. [name_f]May[/name_f] or may not use any one of those.
So my questions are:
- Is [name_u]Dillon[/name_u] an acceptable alternative? Am I dooming a child to a lifetime of rolled eyes? Does it even matter that much in today’s day and age? I mean, it’s tamer than Tragedeigh.
- What are your thoughts on a baby named [name_u]Dillon[/name_u] in the next 5-10 years? Is the name (or Dylan) becoming too dated? Does “Dillon” feel like a rip-off [name_u]Dylan[/name_u]? Further, does it feel too feminine? (All the recent Dylans I’ve known have been girls! I work in childcare and don’t mind this, but what’s your association?)
I’m more just dreaming since we may be unable to have children for unexplained reasons. But we’re doing further testing so we’ll see!
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[name_u]Dillon[/name_u] is an acceptable alternative to [name_u]Dylan[/name_u], but I think it will be routinely spelled wrong and maybe even pronounced wrong.
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[name_u]Dillon[/name_u] and [name_u]Dylan[/name_u] are future-proof and perfectly gender neutral to me! [name_f]My[/name_f] main pop culture association is with [name_m]Bob[/name_m] [name_u]Dylan[/name_u], but it’s not immediate.
With your reasoning, I’d use Dillon; with your other names, I’d use [name_u]Dylan[/name_u]. Both work! Personally I prefer [name_u]Dylan[/name_u].
[name_f]My[/name_f] brother’s name is [name_u]Dylan[/name_u], actually, and my dad really likes [name_m]Bob[/name_m] Dylan… I smell an honor, but he claims otherwise
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[name_u]Dylan[/name_u] has been steadily very popular for about thirty years now, so I wouldn’t worry about it becoming outdated soon. For some reason, [name_u]Dillon[/name_u] feels more dated to me? But I can’t explain why!
I’m generally not fond of [name_u]Dillon[/name_u] - I pretty much always prefer the traditional spelling unless there’s a reason not to use it, because it makes the child’s life easier.
Neither feels particularly feminine to me! [name_u]Dylan[/name_u] is much more common on a boy than a girl (top 50 for boys, compared to top 600 for girls)
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I’ve known multiple Dillons, including my cousin/best friend. None of them have ever had any issues with it. You are right that they are actually separate names with different origins and meanings, so I don’t really see [name_u]Dillon[/name_u] as an alternate spelling of [name_u]Dylan[/name_u], just a different name with the same sound. I like both but somewhat prefer [name_u]Dillon[/name_u] as well.
I don’t really have much input on the “dated” thing as that’s just… not how my brain works with names. As for it being feminine, I think more neutral if anything.
Good luck!
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I think of [name_u]Dylan[/name_u] an as the standard spelling but I would not role my eyes at [name_u]Dillon[/name_u]. [name_m]Just[/name_m] seems like a standard alternative. [name_m]Bob[/name_m] [name_u]Dylan[/name_u] never crossed my mind. Good luck!!
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[name_u]Dylan[/name_u], certainly. It’s the more intuitive spelling, the more traditional one, and the cleaner one.
[name_u]Dylan[/name_u] and [name_u]Dillon[/name_u] both ha peaks in 1992, and [name_u]Dillon[/name_u] is most commonly used as a variant spelling of [name_u]Dylan[/name_u] - influenced by the surname [name_u]Dillon[/name_u], which comes from de [name_u]Leon[/name_u].
[name_u]Dillon[/name_u] feels heavy and lugubrious and dated. [name_u]Dylan[/name_u] is fresher, and associated not only with [name_m]Bob[/name_m] [name_u]Dylan[/name_u], but also [name_u]Dylan[/name_u] [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] (the source of Dylan’s stage name).
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[name_u]Dillon[/name_u] is definitely an acceptable alternative to [name_u]Dylan[/name_u], it works for any gender and I don’t think it sounds too dated! I prefer [name_u]Dylan[/name_u], but you should go with what you love!
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I think [name_u]Dillon[/name_u] is an acceptable alternative - it’s an establish spelling and I’ve known two Dillons somehow (one little girl, one man) (and also one donkey with the name 
) I do think [name_u]Dylan[/name_u] would be people’s first assumption when hearing it but I don’t think [name_u]Dillon[/name_u] is eye-roll worthy.
I’ve met several young Dylans, so it’s not out of date atm to me, and besides the one [name_u]Dillon[/name_u], they’ve been boys.
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I love the name Dylan/Dillon. I know what you mean, I thought of it as a 90s-00s boys’ name but in last twenty years have associated with girls. I would probably use [name_u]Dylan[/name_u] for a boy and [name_u]Dillon[/name_u] for a girl but splitting hairs! I still like it for a boy, it’s a cool name.
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[name_u]Dylan[/name_u] is the more common and more standard, but [name_u]Dillon[/name_u] is an acceptable alternative. It’s kind of like [name_f]Katherine[/name_f] vs. [name_f]Kathryn[/name_f] - one spelling is more common but the other isn’t uncommon or unheard of. I do prefer [name_u]Dylan[/name_u], as the [name_u]Dillon[/name_u] spelling reminds me of dill pickles and I just think [name_u]Dylan[/name_u] looks cleaner and less ambiguous, but [name_u]Dillon[/name_u] is fine!
I don’t think Dylan/Dillon is dated as it’s still being used, but both peaked in the 90s/early 00s so they give me those vibes. Kind of similar to [name_u]Cameron[/name_u], [name_f]Hannah[/name_f], [name_u]Sydney[/name_u] - definitely wouldn’t bat an eyelash at these names today but they were a little more common ~20 years ago. I think the name [name_u]Dylan[/name_u] leans much more masculine but I wouldn’t necessarily be shocked to meet a female [name_u]Dylan[/name_u]. It’s kind of similar to [name_u]Tyler[/name_u] to me - definitely would expect someone masculine if I saw the name but wouldn’t be shocked if it turned out to be someone feminine. (I feel this way about [name_u]Addison[/name_u] too, but reverse).
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I think [name_u]Dillon[/name_u] is fine! It’s definitely an established spelling of [name_u]Dylan[/name_u] and not eye roll worthy, but it would probably be misspelled as [name_u]Dylan[/name_u] at least a few times. Plus I prefer [name_u]Dylan[/name_u] - something about it just looks nicer aesthetically, but that’s just personal opinion.
I also don’t think either spelling is dated - it was more popular in the 2000s but is still common enough nowadays that it still feels fresh enough. And I consider it to be gender neutral!
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I agree with previous posters that [name_u]Dillon[/name_u] is certainly a wearable alternative. I have heard of many people named [name_u]Dylan[/name_u] but also a fair amount of Dillons. [name_u]Dylan[/name_u] definitely leans more unisex than [name_u]Dillon[/name_u] for me. I personally prefer Dylan; it feels slightly more light and dynamic. However, both are nice names and certainly don‘t feel outdated.
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i have dillon as an irish last name in my family tree! it definitely feels older and more traditional, but i don’t personally see those as negatives. dylan feels more modern and lighter as others have said, but it also feels very overused and washed-out to me and i don’t like it very much. it gives me the vibe of a tyler or a lucas, like a kid you go to school with who talks while the teacher is talking and an adult who won’t leave you alone in a bar even when you say no thanks. the bob dylan association is a positive one for me though! if i found out a dylan were named for him i would like it more, but i don’t immediately associate it with him since dylan is so popular as a first name on its own.
dillon, to me, is more interesting. it feels more international and unique, softer and more friendly. it’s like all those old grandpa names that are coming back into popularity, like an archie, a howard, or a theodore. it doesn’t feel too dated to me as i don’t think it ever reached the height of dylan’s popularity; rather it feels like a vintage name having a revival! even dylan is still pretty popular and doesn’t necessarily feel dated, just common and potentially overused. because of its traditional roots, dillon doesn’t feel like a ridiculous, made-up spelling of a well known name and i think this makes it a good dylan alternative if you like it more. i do think people would assume the more popular spelling, as others have said. and neither dillon nor dylan feel too feminine to me! i like dylan more as a feminine name, but it is still far more popular in its masculine usage and i think it carries dillon along in that association. dillon flynn is such a cute little combo!
good luck with your testing! i hope you end up having a little dylan or a dillon someday!!
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I have taught both [name_u]Dillon[/name_u] and [name_u]Dylan[/name_u]. [name_u]Dillon[/name_u] is [name_u]Irish[/name_u] and three of the Dillons I taught were honoring that heritage. [name_u]Dylan[/name_u] is a Welsh sea-god, and there’s [name_u]Dylan[/name_u] [name_m]Thomas[/name_m], the Welsh poet, which is where [name_m]Bob[/name_m] Zimmerman got the name [name_u]Dylan[/name_u].
Either way, in a classroom full of Serenity’s and Mason’s, Tamarcus’s and Destiny’s,whether you spell it [name_u]Dillon[/name_u] or [name_u]Dylan[/name_u] doesn’t really matter except to you. No one else will even notice.
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[name_f]My[/name_f] best friend named her baby [name_u]Dillon[/name_u] (he’s almost 2) and I love it. It feels fresher than [name_u]Dylan[/name_u] to me. I don’t think there were any raised eyebrows or rolled eyes when she chose that name!
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