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Name Lineage

    The first name Alden

    A boy’s name from English meaning “old”, “friend”.

    2 syllables Male Also a surname

    Meaning and origin

    English origin

    Alden means “old”, “friend” in English.

    From Old English Ealdwine, from eald (“old”) + wine (“friend”); equivalent to Alwin. In some cases a variant of Haldane.

    More names that mean friend.

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity

    Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

    In 2025, 16 boys were named Alden, making it the 1,613th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2022, with 24 births (#1,143).

    01530 1996200020052010201520202025
    221
    babies named Alden, 1996–2025
    #1,613
    rank in 2025
    2022
    peak year

    Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Alden with other names.

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Alden at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2025, 479 boys born in the United States were named Alden, the 598th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 2024, when 494 were.

    0250500 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    GirlsBoys
    19,173
    babies named Alden since 1880
    #598
    rank in 2025
    2024
    peak year

    US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.

    Nicknames and spellings

    Other spellings and forms

    • Olden

    Famous people named Alden

    10 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Alden Ehrenreich
      American actor, born 1989
    • J. Alden Weir
      American artist (1852-1919)
    • Alden Sanborn
      American rower (1899-1991)
    • Alden W. Clausen
      American businessman, President of the World Bank, 1981-1986
    • Alden Richards
      Filipino actor and television personality, born 1992
    • Philip Alden Kuhn
      American historian and sinologist (1933–2016)
    • Alden McLaughlin
      Caymanian politician, born 1961
    • Peter North
      Canadian pornographic actor, born 1957
    • Perfume Genius
      American musician, born 1981
    • Stu Cook
      American bass player, born 1945

    More English boys’ names

    All 216 names of English origin

    Questions

    What does the name Alden mean?
    Alden means “old”, “friend” in English.
    What is the origin of the name Alden?
    From Old English Ealdwine, from eald (“old”) + wine (“friend”); equivalent to Alwin. In some cases a variant of Haldane.
    How popular is the name Alden?
    In 2025, 16 boys born in England and Wales were named Alden, ranking 1,613th. Its peak was 2022, with 24 births.
    Is Alden a boy's or a girl's name?
    Mostly a boy's name: 95% of the 19,173 US babies named Alden since 1880 were boys.
    When was Alden most popular?
    2024 in the United States, when 494 babies were named Alden, its highest rank at 576th.
    What are other spellings of Alden?
    Olden.
    Is Alden also a surname?
    Yes. Alden is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.