Hayden
Originally a place name, from Old English heg (“hay”) + denu (“valley”).
Every Hayden since 1880 — 147,508 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Hayden
Hayden is moderately common for boys in the United States, ranked #161 in 2025 with 2,268 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 147,508 American babies have been named Hayden — about 77% boys and 23% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 2008, when 8,611 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 2000s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Hayden stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Hayden year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 707 | #437 | 2,268 | #161 |
| 2024 | 789 | #402 | 2,341 | #154 |
| 2023 | 834 | #368 | 2,233 | #162 |
| 2022 | 937 | #344 | 2,303 | #162 |
| 2021 | 1,101 | #290 | 2,210 | #175 |
| 2020 | 1,086 | #298 | 2,157 | #177 |
| 2019 | 1,139 | #294 | 2,070 | #190 |
| 2018 | 1,250 | #262 | 2,183 | #180 |
| 2017 | 1,359 | #232 | 2,300 | #172 |
| 2016 | 1,577 | #206 | 2,394 | #168 |
| 2015 | 1,711 | #191 | 2,750 | #150 |
| 2014 | 1,668 | #201 | 2,891 | #140 |
| 2013 | 1,685 | #193 | 2,971 | #129 |
| 2012 | 1,614 | #197 | 3,547 | #109 |
| 2011 | 1,692 | #187 | 4,603 | #90 |
| 2010 | 1,892 | #162 | 4,196 | #96 |
| 2009 | 2,475 | #131 | 4,868 | #91 |
| 2008 | 2,662 | #127 | 5,949 | #76 |
| 2007 | 1,737 | #195 | 6,278 | #71 |
| 2006 | 761 | #418 | 6,470 | #73 |
| 2005 | 747 | #417 | 5,916 | #76 |
| 2004 | 483 | #582 | 5,019 | #87 |
| 2003 | 490 | #570 | 5,101 | #84 |
| 2002 | 419 | #610 | 4,142 | #96 |
| 2001 | 365 | #682 | 3,262 | #117 |
| 2000 | 348 | #685 | 3,044 | #129 |
| 1995 | 158 | #1,122 | 1,895 | #172 |
| 1990 | 42 | #2,757 | 611 | #379 |
| 1985 | 18 | #4,329 | 80 | #1,023 |
| 1980 | 10 | #6,454 | 80 | #1,013 |
| 1975 | 15 | #4,218 | 40 | #1,388 |
| 1970 | 6 | #7,381 | 45 | #1,242 |
| 1965 | — | — | 31 | #1,392 |
| 1960 | — | — | 35 | #1,348 |
| 1955 | — | — | 24 | #1,586 |
| 1950 | — | — | 45 | #1,056 |
| 1945 | — | — | 38 | #1,048 |
| 1940 | — | — | 37 | #1,077 |
| 1935 | — | — | 52 | #876 |
| 1930 | — | — | 50 | #963 |
| 1925 | — | — | 62 | #848 |
| 1920 | — | — | 64 | #848 |
| 1915 | — | — | 67 | #726 |
| 1910 | — | — | 12 | #952 |
| 1905 | — | — | 10 | #813 |
| 1900 | — | — | 10 | #871 |
| 1895 | — | — | 7 | #927 |
| 1890 | — | — | 8 | #778 |
| 1885 | — | — | 6 | #873 |
| 1880 | — | — | 5 | #973 |
Famous people named Hayden
- Hayden White Historian · 1928–2018
- Hayden Christensen Actor · b. 1981
- Hayden Panettiere Actor · b. 1989
- Hayden Foxe Soccer player · b. 1977
- Hayden Roulston Cyclist · b. 1981
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Hayden mean?
Originally a place name, from Old English heg (“hay”) + denu (“valley”).
How popular is the name Hayden in 2025?
Hayden ranked #161 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 2,268 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Hayden?
147,508 babies have been named Hayden in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Hayden most popular?
Hayden peaked in 2008, when 8,611 newborns received the name.
Is Hayden a boy or girl name?
Hayden is used for both: about 23% of babies named Hayden have been girls and 77% boys.
Is the name Hayden rising or falling?
Hayden has been roughly stable over the past decade.
Who are famous people named Hayden?
Well-known people named Hayden include Hayden White (historian), Hayden Christensen (actor), Hayden Panettiere (actor).