Waylon

Wayland the Smith is one of the oldest figures in Germanic mythology, a master craftsman who appears in the Old English poem Deor, the Old Norse Vƫlundarkviða of the Poetic Edda, and the prose Þiðreks saga.

The legends tell of his capture and hamstringing by King Niðhad, his vengeance through the killing of the king’s sons and the seduction of his daughter, and his escape on wings of his own forging.

The legend was so widespread that several megalithic burial mounds in England, including one near the Uffington White Horse, are still called Wayland’s Smithy.

Cultural use in the modern era owes nearly everything to country singer Waylon Jennings (1937-2002), the Texas-born musician who, with Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, and Johnny Cash, defined the outlaw country movement of the 1970s.

His albums Honky Tonk Heroes (1973) and Wanted! The Outlaws (1976), the latter the first country album to be certified platinum, made his given name a cultural marker.

He also sang and narrated the theme song for the television series The Dukes of Hazzard.

Waylon is a recent arrival to the SSA top 1000, first entering in 2002 after country fans began honoring Jennings with namesakes following his death.

It climbed rapidly through the 2010s as part of the broader country and Americana revival in baby names that lifted Wyatt, Boone, and Hank, crossing into the top 200 in 2017.

As of 2024 it sits near 120-140, with particularly strong use in Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and the southeastern states.

Contemporary bearers include the sons of country stars Jessica Simpson and Maisie Williams’s character namesake. The name carries frontier romance, mythic depth, and a touch of denim.