Raylan
Raylan is a 2012 novel by Elmore Leonard, the author's final work before he died in 2013.
Meaning & Origin of Raylan
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Raylan is a 2012 novel by Elmore Leonard, the author's final work before he died in 2013.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Raylan
As a girl name
Raylan first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 2001, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2015, when 57 Raylans were born — ranking #3,001 that year. As of 2026, Raylan ranks #4,509 for girls with 31 births, gradually falling (-12%). In total, more than 629 Raylans have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2000s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Raylan first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1975, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2015, when 630 Raylans were born — ranking #473 that year. As of 2026, Raylan ranks #747 for boys with 354 births, gradually falling (-12%). In total, more than 7K Raylans have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Raylan
Phonetically similar names — useful when Raylan is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Raylan
What does the name Raylan mean?
How popular is Raylan in 2026?
When was Raylan most popular?
In which U.S. states is Raylan most popular?
Is Raylan a unisex name?
What names go well with Raylan?
About the name Raylan
Raylan is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1975 and has accumulated 7K births in the dataset. Raylan's peak popularity came in 2015 when it ranked #473. Use the chart and map above to compare Raylan's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2015 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "R" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.