Show ContentsDylan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The surname is one of the Anglo-Norman names that arrived in Ireland in the wake of the 12th century invasion by Richard "Strongbow" de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke. The surname Dylan belongs to the large category of Anglo-Norman habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Originally, these place names were prefixed by de, which means from in French. The name of the Dylan family comes from the name of the town of Lyon in central France. In France, the name may also have been a nickname for a fierce or brave warrior, as derived from the Old French word "lion," which meant "lion." The Irish Gaelic form of the surname Dylan is Diolún.

Early Origins of the Dylan family

The surname Dylan was first found in at Drumrany in County Westmeath (Irish: An Iarmhí) in the Irish Midlands, province of Leinster, where they were the Barons of Drumrany. The Dillon family is descended from Sir Henry de Leon, a member of a noble Breton family who came to Ireland in 1185, in the service of the Earl of Morton, who later became King John. For de Leon's service, King John granted him MacCarrons territory, part of Annaly, and other vast possessions, including a castle at Dunimon.

Early History of the Dylan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dylan research. Another 184 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1533, 1572, 1605, 1610, 1615, 1624, 1627, 1629, 1630, 1633, 1642, 1649, 1652, 1672, 1674, 1682, 1685, 1689, 1691, 1713, 1715 and 1794 are included under the topic Early Dylan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dylan Spelling Variations

Church officials and medieval scribes spelled names as they sounded; therefore, single person, could have his name spelt many different ways during their lifetime. While investigating the origins of the name Dylan, many spelling variations were encountered, including: Dillon, Delion, Dilune, Dilon, Dylon, Dillan, Dillen and many more.

Early Notables of the Dylan family

Notable amongst the family up to this time was Sir Bartholomew Dillon (died 1533), a leading Irish judge who held the offices of Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer and Lord Justice of Ireland. Hewas born at Riverston, County Meath. Theobald Dillon, 1st Viscount Dillon (died 1624), was an Irish military commander and adventurer who claimed descent from the Anglo-Norman Henry le Dillon; Lucas Dillon, 2nd Viscount Dillon (1610-1629); Theobald Dillon, 3rd Viscount Dillon (1629-1630); Thomas Dillon, 4th Viscount Dillon (1615-1672); Thomas Dillon, 5th Viscount Dillon (d. 1674); Lucas Dillon, 6th Viscount Dillon (d. 1682); Theobald Dillon, 7th Viscount Dillon...
Another 100 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dylan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Dylan family

Ireland's Great Potato Famine left the country's inhabitants in extreme poverty and starvation. Many families left their homeland for North America for the promise of work, freedom and land ownership. Although the Irish were not free of economic and racial discrimination in North America, they did contribute greatly to the rapid development of bridges, canals, roads, and railways. Eventually, they would be accepted in other areas such as commerce, education, and the arts. An examination of immigration and passenger lists revealed many bearing the name Dylan: William Dillon who settled in St. John's, Newfoundland in 1796; John Dillon settled in St. John's in 1814; Moses Dillon settled in Harbour Grace in 1814.


Contemporary Notables of the name Dylan (post 1700) +

  • Bob Dylan (b. 1941), born Robert Allen Zimmerman, American singer-songwriter, musician, poet and painter awarded a special citation in 2008 by the Pulitzer Prize jury, the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2016 and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom
  • Jesse Byron Dylan (b. 1966), American film director, son of Bob Dylan 1
  • Jakob Luke Dylan (b. 1969), American lead singer and songwriter of the rock band The Wallflowers, son of Bob Dylan 2
  • Evan Dylan Whitfield (b. 1977), retired American soccer player
  • Dylan Lyons (1998-2023), American television news reporter for Spectrum News 13 in Orlando, Florida who was fatally shot while reporting from the scene of a homicide in the Pine Hills neighborhood
  • Dylan Valley, South African filmmaker from Cape Town who has directed work with SABC and Al Jazeera
  • Dylan Warters, American actor, known for Suburbanite (2013) and Silent Whispers (2009)
  • Dylan Kight (b. 1984), American singer-songwriter, known for his albums Feel The Silence (2005), Sweet Misery (2006), No Destination but Heartbreak Ave. (2006) and The Nightbirds Revolt (2007) and Places in Between (2010)
  • Dylan William Strome, Canadian ice hockey player
  • Dylan Muse SprayBerry, American actor and musician, perhaps best known for his role as the young Clark Kent in the 2013 film Man of Steel


The Dylan Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Dum spiro spero
Motto Translation: While I have breath I hope.


  1. Jesse Dylan. (Retrieved 2011, February 9) Jesse Dylan. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_Dylan
  2. Jakob Dylan. (Retrieved 2011, February 9) Jakob Dylan. Retrieved from http://www.jakobdylan.com/


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