Alden Boy

Popularity: #525 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: AL-den /ˈɔːl.dən/

Origin: Old English; German

Meaning: Old English: 'old friend'; German: 'noble'

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Alden has its roots in Old English, derived from the elements "ald," meaning "old" or "wise," and "wine," meaning "friend." This etymological composition suggests a meaning akin to "old friend" or "wise protector." The name was historically used as a surname before transitioning into a given name, particularly in English-speaking regions. Its earliest forms can be traced back to the Anglo-Saxon period, where it was recorded in various spellings, including Aldin and Alden, as both a personal name and a family name.

In terms of historical milestones, the name Alden appears in several notable contexts. One significant figure is Alden of Waltham, a 10th-century English saint, who contributed to the name's recognition in ecclesiastical circles.

Additionally, the name gained prominence in the 17th century with the arrival of the Alden family in America, particularly through John Alden, a Mayflower passenger in 1620, who became a prominent figure in early American history. His legacy has helped to cement the name within American cultural narratives, particularly in literature and folklore.

Culturally, the name Alden has been associated with wisdom and friendship, reflecting the meanings of its components. It has been used in various literary works and has appeared in different forms across cultures, sometimes as a diminutive or variant.

The name's enduring qualities are tied to its historical significance and the positive connotations of its meaning, which resonate with themes of loyalty and companionship. As such, Alden has maintained a presence in both historical texts and cultural references, contributing to its lasting appeal.

Famous people named Alden

In this section, you will find notable people named Alden. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Alden who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Alden who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Alden Ehrenreich is an actor best known for Solo: A Star Wars Story, Hail, Caesar!, and Beautiful Creatures.

Alden Richards is an actor and television host best known for his role in the series Eat Bulaga!, and films like Hello, Love, Goodbye.

Fictional characters named Alden

The following list of fictional characters named Alden is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Alden is a fictional character from the video game series Fire Emblem. He is a skilled warrior and a member of the game's central cast, often involved in key battles and character development.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Alden, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

EldenHoldenGideonWesleyOrson

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Alden. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

Arden

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Alden was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Alden has ranked as high as #1144 nationally, which occurred in 2024, and has been most popular in California, Massachusetts, New York, Michigan, and Texas.

In the past 5 years the name Alden has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Alden is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Alden was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Alden.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 498 479 19
2024 519 494 25
2023 456 431 25
2022 464 445 19
2021 425 394 31
2020 408 387 21
2019 450 435 15
2018 431 411 20
2017 431 409 22
2016 408 392 16
2015 356 340 16
2014 357 337 20
2013 350 331 19
2012 320 294 26
2011 260 244 16
2010 276 251 25
2009 261 242 19
2008 250 222 28
2007 303 275 28
2006 280 249 31
2005 281 258 23
2004 298 257 41
2003 288 251 37
2002 203 178 25
2001 184 159 25
2000 212 186 26
1999 171 144 27
1998 221 196 25
1997 159 143 16
1996 161 143 18
1995 159 142 17
1994 134 116 18
1993 122 100 22
1992 134 116 18
1991 104 91 13
1990 128 119 9
1989 103 92 11
1988 113 94 19
1987 90 84 6
1986 98 92 6
1985 99 86 13
1984 93 79 14
1983 77 68 9
1982 91 84 7
1981 72 64 8
1980 57 57 0
1979 63 57 6
1978 58 53 5
1977 56 48 8
1976 43 43 0
1975 62 54 8
1974 44 44 0
1973 47 47 0
1972 44 44 0
1971 48 48 0
1970 59 59 0
1969 72 72 0
1968 53 53 0
1967 62 62 0
1966 66 66 0
1965 76 76 0
1964 76 76 0
1963 84 84 0
1962 60 60 0
1961 85 85 0
1960 86 86 0
1959 92 92 0
1958 86 86 0
1957 87 87 0
1956 119 110 9
1955 103 97 6
1954 86 86 0
1953 103 98 5
1952 95 95 0
1951 99 99 0
1950 89 89 0
1949 83 83 0
1948 96 96 0
1947 124 124 0
1946 79 79 0
1945 105 105 0
1944 105 105 0
1943 126 126 0
1942 112 112 0
1941 103 103 0
1940 116 116 0
1939 117 117 0
1938 119 119 0
1937 132 132 0
1936 126 120 6
1935 106 106 0
1934 144 144 0
1933 114 114 0
1932 158 158 0
1931 134 134 0
1930 146 146 0
1929 164 164 0
1928 171 171 0
1927 141 141 0
1926 183 183 0
1925 173 173 0
1924 188 183 5
1923 176 176 0
1922 184 184 0
1921 193 193 0
1920 180 180 0
1919 167 167 0
1918 181 181 0
1917 166 166 0
1916 174 174 0
1915 155 155 0
1914 113 113 0
1913 93 93 0
1912 79 79 0
1911 46 46 0
1910 13 13 0
1909 12 12 0
1908 28 28 0
1907 24 24 0
1906 14 14 0
1905 19 19 0
1904 18 18 0
1903 11 11 0
1902 10 10 0
1901 10 10 0
1900 13 13 0
1899 9 9 0
1898 17 17 0
1897 9 9 0
1896 10 10 0
1895 8 8 0
1894 8 8 0
1893 5 5 0
1892 9 9 0
1891 9 9 0
1890 10 10 0
1889 10 10 0
1888 6 6 0
1887 7 7 0
1886 8 8 0
1885 5 5 0
1884 6 6 0
1883 12 12 0
1882 8 8 0
1881 6 6 0
1880 9 9 0

Top States for Alden (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 50
11%
TX 38
8%
WA 29
6%
MI 25
5%
FL 22
5%
GA 21
5%
OH 20
4%
NC 20
4%
PA 18
4%
MA 16
3%
NY 15
3%
VA 14
3%
OR 13
3%
MO 13
3%
MN 12
3%
WI 10
2%
TN 10
2%
IL 9
2%
CO 9
2%
IN 9
2%
MD 8
2%
ME 8
2%
OK 7
2%
VT 7
2%
AL 7
2%
KS 7
2%
KY 7
2%
AZ 6
1%
NH 6
1%
AR 6
1%
UT 6
1%
SC 5
1%
NJ 5
1%