Dylan sits at #490 with 248 entries, leaning male. The two-syllable shape (DIL-en) is a Welsh-origin given name (Dylan, meaning "son of the sea" in Welsh mythology) that has fully crossed into mainstream American naming, with the pet version following the human-name curve.
The human-name crossover
Dylan tracks the same path as Jacob, Lincoln, and Levi — owners are picking a regular human name for their pet without modification. The Dylan baby name page shows the SSA chart climbing through the 1990s and holding steady through the 2010s, with the pet version trailing.
The Bob Dylan anchor
The cultural footprint is split between two anchors — Bob Dylan (the musician, who took the name from the poet Dylan Thomas) and the broader Welsh-mythology origin. Most contemporary owners reach the name without any specific anchor in mind, which is itself meaningful: Dylan has become culturally neutral enough that owners can use it cleanly.
Sound and breed lean
The two-syllable open shape projects well and is easy to call. Dylan lands on medium dogs more often than the size extremes — Goldendoodles, Spaniels, Australian Shepherds, and mid-sized rescue mixes. Owners often shorten it casually to Dyl at the dog park. The name is unusual in this rank tier for being so culturally clean — there's no single dominant reading owners are reaching for.
The Welsh-origin layer
The original Welsh mythology figure Dylan Eil Don is a sea god, which gives the name a quiet aquatic register that some owners reach for deliberately. Portuguese Water Dogs, Newfoundland mixes, and other water-loving breeds occasionally arrive at the name through this lineage rather than the Bob Dylan one.