How to say it
WAY · lon
/ˈweɪ.lən/
Masculine
Waylon
Battle-land, or from a place
What it means
Modern American name, likely a variant of Waylan or Wayland, the latter from Old English Wēland, the legendary smith of Germanic and Norse mythology (cognate with Old Norse Völundr).
Waylon is a modern American respelling of Wayland or Waylan, both of which trace to the Old English Wēland (Old Norse Völundr), the legendary smith of Germanic and Norse mythology. Wayland the Smith appears in Beowulf and in Norse Eddas; he made weapons for kings and was crippled and held captive by King Niðhad. The first name Waylon owes its modern English usage almost entirely to Waylon Jennings (1937-2002), the outlaw-country singer, and through him to his namesake Waylon Smithers of The Simpsons. It's been in the US top 200 since 2015. No common short.
Popularity over time
peaked at #56 in 2025, currently #56 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Pop culture
Waylon Jennings the outlaw-country singer is the dominant English-language anchor. Waylon Smithers of The Simpsons is the secondary reference; the Norse smith Wēland sits behind both.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Waylon Jennings American outlaw country singer, 1937-2002
- Waylon Smithers Mr. Burns's assistant in The Simpsons, named for Jennings
Spelling variants
- Wayland
- Waylan
Names with the same feeling
See Waylon from another angle
By meaning
By style