Rylan

A modern invention with old roots showing, Rylan emerged as a variant of Ryan crossed with the Irish Roylan, landing somewhere between surname chic and nursery-bright. Some trace it to an Old English place name meaning rye land, others to a simple riff on Dylan's cadence. Whatever the genealogy, the name has climbed American charts steadily since the early 2000s and now holds its ground in the mid-300s, crossing gender lines with ease. Two clean syllables, the Y giving it modern lift, the N landing soft. Rylan reads athletic and friendly, a name built for a kid who waves from the school bus window.