Alden
Alden was the 598th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 479 babies. Its best year was 1911, when it ranked 426th; the most babies were born in 2024 (494). Over the last ten years it has moved up 127 places. More babies were named Alden in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning old friend (Old English) · Old English
Say it AWL-den /ˈɔldən/
- Rank in 2025
- #598 boys, up 74 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 479boys
- Girls and boys
- 5% girls, 95% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2024494 babies
- Total since 1880
- 19,173babies recorded
What does the name Alden mean?
Alden is an English surname from the Old English personal name Ealdwine, which Wiktionary explains as eald, old, plus wine, friend, so "old friend"; Alwin is a related form. DMNES treats a medieval Alden as a pet form of names beginning with ald, old. Wiktionary adds that some Aldens are a variant of the surname Haldane. As an American first name it has been used since 1880.
eald (Old English, “old”)wine (Old English, “friend”)
How sure is this? Probable. Wiktionary and DMNES differ slightly (compound Ealdwine vs. pet form of ald- names), but both rest on 'old'.
Related names: Alwin, Aldwin, Aldous.
See also: English names, names that mean love.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Alden' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Alden', DMNES (Durham University)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Alden popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #6,125 | #598 | 19 | 479 |
| 2020 | #5,672 | #672 | 21 | 387 |
| 2010 | #5,423 | #841 | 25 | 251 |
| 2000 | #4,531 | #857 | 26 | 186 |
| 1990 | #8,513 | #949 | 9 | 119 |
| 1980 | — | #1,214 | — | 57 |
| 1970 | — | #1,063 | — | 59 |
| 1960 | — | #821 | — | 86 |
| 1950 | — | #726 | — | 89 |
| 1940 | — | #545 | — | 116 |
| 1930 | — | #490 | — | 146 |
| 1920 | — | #450 | — | 180 |
| 1910 | — | #861 | — | 13 |
| 1900 | — | #699 | — | 13 |
| 1890 | — | #629 | — | 10 |
| 1880 | — | #641 | — | 9 |
How popular is Alden, counting every spelling?
Alden is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #571 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #598 for Alden on its own. Together these spellings went to 507 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alden | 479 | #598 | 2,243 |
| Aldon | 14 | #6,160 | 80 |
| Aldin | 9 | #8,274 | 75 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Alden?
479 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Alden (0.13 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Alden born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 18 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Alden.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Alden?
About 12,500 people born in the US named Alden are alive today, with a median age of 17; half are between 8 and 35. That makes Alden mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Alden by state
How common Alden was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Maine (9.7×), New Hampshire (5.2×), Oregon (3.6×), Washington (2.5×), Massachusetts (2.3×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Mississippi, Louisiana, New Jersey.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Alden: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Alden, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Alden · Sibling names for Alden
Questions about the name Alden
What does Alden mean?
Alden means “old friend (Old English)” (Old English origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Alden?
Alden was the 598th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 479 babies. Its best year was 1911, when it ranked 426th; the most babies were born in 2024 (494). Over the last ten years it has moved up 127 places. More babies were named Alden in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Alden a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 5% girls, 95% boys given the name Alden in the US.
Where is Alden most popular?
In 2021–2025, Alden was most common in Maine (2.52 per 1,000 boys), followed by New Hampshire and Vermont.