Dylan is an American name. The name 'Dylan' means 'born near the sea' and 'son of the wave'. In Welsh mythology, Dylan was a god or hero associated with the sea. In the myth it states that "And immediately when he was in the sea, he took its nature, and swam as well as the best fish that was therein'.
It is derived from the word 'llanw' meaning 'tide' or 'flow'. Some believe is to be from an old Celtic word meaning 'sea'.
As Dylan's drowning is the cause of his death we thought we could use the name in an ironic way. Instead of being in control of the water, our protagonist loses control in it. It is also a reminder for us as to how he died so throughout the film there is a hidden clue in his name as to how he met such a sudden death at a young age.
The name is also quite common shown by this graph:
Due to the name being common and well-known, it makes our protagonist seem to be an ordinary teenager. He doesn't seem to be the type of guy to stand out from the crowd in any way. The audience will be pulled into a belief that this is simply someone with a happy, peaceful life reflecting on good times. This makes the twist during the film even more surprising.
