Raylan

Raylan - A very unique male name

Raylan appeared on the charts for the first time in 2010 on position #1275. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Raylan and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Raylan? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Raylan. The baby boy name Raylan was given to 259 baby boys in 2025, ranking #810 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 5,661 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Raylan peaked in popularity 11 years ago in 2015 on position 470.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Raylan, 1-5?

Raylan is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Raylan is currently topping the baby name charts in Arkansas at position #299 - and is the least popular in Illinois at position #1,443.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Raylan is where you live.

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Raylan origin and meaning

Modern invented (American, popularised by fiction)

Uncertain — Raylan appears to be a modern coinage built on Ray with a -lan ending; it was created or at least fixed in its current form by novelist Elmore Leonard for his US Marshal character, but its exact construction is not documented

Raylan enters US data in 2010, the year the television series Justified, built around Leonard's marshal Raylan Givens, began. The name peaked in 2015 with the show and has been falling since it ended — a rare case where a name's whole American life is one character.

Origin uncertain

Raylan is a 6 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Raylan, pop culture references for the name Raylan and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Raylan

We've found the following names that sound similar to Raylan, sorted by popularity.

Rylan / Rylen / Rollin / Raylen / Rulon / Raylon / Rylin / Rolan / Rhylan / Raylin /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Raylan

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Raylan a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Raylan?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

RAY-lun · /ˈreɪlən/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Spellings and nicknames

• Rayland — A related form occasionally used

Nicknames: Ray

Famous bearers

• Raylan Givens — The US Marshal hero of Elmore Leonard's stories and the television series Justified (Fictional, 2010) Fictional

Style

LiteraryModern coinage

Why parents choose it

Parents chose Raylan for Justified's hat-and-drawer charm — Ray with a Western, literary twist. With the show over, the name is receding with it.

Worth knowing

• Most adults who recognise it will name the television character immediately