Waylon is a distinctive boys' name in United States, ranking #1144 in 1998 with 110 recorded births. The name reached its all-time peak in 2025 with 5,408 births ranking #56. Since 1996, the popularity has decreased by 12.7%. In 1998, approximately 1 in every 17,376 boys born was named Waylon. RISING Recent data shows the name is currently rising.
Waylon is a variant of Wayland. Through that older Germanic line it is associated with the root wila, often explained in relation to craft or skill.
Behind the Name notes that Waylon Jennings helped popularise this spelling, even though he was born Wayland. That celebrity route explains why the shorter form became established as its own name.