Harlen
Harlen was the 2338th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 59 babies. Its best year was 1936, when it ranked 750th with 65 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 98 places. More babies were named Harlen in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Harlan) grey land or hare land (English) · Old English
- Rank in 2025
- #2,338 boys, up 226 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 59boys
- Girls and boys
- 16% girls, 84% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 193665 babies
- Total since 1880
- 3,520babies recorded
What does the name Harlen mean?
Harlen is a spelling of Harlan, pronounced the same way, so it shares Harlan's meaning and origin.
Harlan is an American contraction of the surname Harland, according to Wiktionary, from Old English hār, grey, or hara, hare, plus land. So it means a grey stretch of land, or land where hares were found; the sources do not say which. Wiktionary lists several US places named Harlan. As a first name it has been used in the US since 1880.
hār (Old English, “grey”)hara (Old English, “hare”)land (Old English, “land”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Wiktionary offers 'grey' or 'hare' for the first element.
Related names: Harland, Harlen.
See also: English names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Harlan' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Harlen popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #9,082 | #2,338 | 11 | 59 |
| 2020 | #9,162 | #2,564 | 11 | 50 |
| 2010 | — | #2,841 | — | 42 |
| 2000 | — | #6,498 | — | 10 |
| 1990 | — | #4,507 | — | 12 |
| 1980 | — | #2,876 | — | 16 |
| 1970 | — | #2,553 | — | 14 |
| 1960 | — | #1,744 | — | 22 |
| 1950 | — | #1,410 | — | 27 |
| 1940 | — | #932 | — | 47 |
| 1930 | — | #902 | — | 55 |
| 1920 | — | #1,129 | — | 40 |
| 1910 | — | #1,693 | — | 5 |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Harlen, counting every spelling?
Harlen is a spelling of Harlan, a name family that ranked #545 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #2,338 for Harlen on its own. Together these spellings went to 551 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harlan | 454 | #617 | 2,074 |
| Harlen | 59 | #2,338 | 303 |
| Harlin | 24 | #4,303 | 115 |
| Harlon | 14 | #6,241 | 60 |
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 Harlen?
59 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Harlen (0.02 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Harlen 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 142 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Harlen.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Harlen?
About 1,900 people born in the US named Harlen are alive today, with a median age of 19; half are between 9 and 61. That makes Harlen mostly worn by children and young adults. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
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.
Harlen by state
How common Harlen was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. In 48 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Harlen: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Harlen, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Harlen
What does Harlen mean?
Harlen is a spelling of Harlan, usually explained as “grey land or hare land (English)”, but this is uncertain. Certainty: uncertain.
How popular is the name Harlen?
Harlen was the 2338th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 59 babies. Its best year was 1936, when it ranked 750th with 65 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 98 places. More babies were named Harlen in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Harlen a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 16% girls, 84% boys given the name Harlen in the US.
Where is Harlen most popular?
In 2021–2025, Harlen was most common in Colorado (0.04 per 1,000 boys), followed by Ohio and Texas.