unisex name · in the US
Hayden
HAY-den (English)
- Origin English
- Gender Unisex (US)
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 183,919
the United States
#161
2025 births
Hayden is a name of Old English origin meaning "hay valley" or "hedged hill." It began as an English place name and surname, and is now given to both boys and girls.
- Hayden is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 2008, when 8,611 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 1,114 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Hayden Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 28 |
| 1890s | 73 |
| 1900s | 91 |
| 1910s | 487 |
| 1920s | 620 |
| 1930s | 418 |
| 1940s | 435 |
| 1950s | 339 |
| 1960s | 331 |
| 1970s | 543 |
| 1980s | 1,229 |
| 1990s | 17,920 |
| 2000s | 60,536 |
| 2010s | 45,492 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 18,966 |
What Hayden Means
Hayden means the valley where hay is cut, or the hill with a hedge. The first element is either heg, hay, or hege, a hedge, and the second is denu, a valley, or dun, a hill.
Where Hayden Comes From
Hayden comes from English place names combining heg, hay, or hege, a hedge, with denu, a valley, or dun, a hill — the elements cannot be resolved with certainty because several villages of the name have different underlying forms. Families took it as a surname, and it returned to first-name use in the twentieth century. A separate Irish Ó hÉideáin, from a personal name, was also anglicized as Hayden, so Irish bearers have an unrelated origin. It heads the -aden group that also produced Aiden, Jayden, Brayden and Kayden.
Hayden in Use
Birth records record Hayden for both sexes and shows it falling, peaking in 2008, and it first appears in birth records in 1880. Unlike Kayden and Jayden, which birth records show appearing only in the 1980s and 90s, Hayden has a genuine documented history — it is the real name the coined ones were built to rhyme with.
How Popular Is Hayden?
In 2025, Hayden was given to 2,975 babies in the United States, ranking #161 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Where Hayden Is Used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
How Hayden Is Spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Haÿden | Haÿden is a variant spelling of Hayden, recorded in France. | 5 |
Names That Peaked Alongside Hayden
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Hayden Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Hayden over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Boys' or Girls' Name?
Hayden is used differently depending on where you are. Each figure is the share of babies given the name who were girls, over the last ten years of that country's records.
- United States Both 32% girls · 33,238 babies
- Canada Both 17% girls · 4,747 babies
- France Boys' 5% girls · 4,215 babies
- England & Wales Boys' 4% girls · 2,092 babies
- Scotland Boys' 9% girls · 281 babies
- Ireland Boys' 2% girls · 169 babies
- Northern Ireland Boys' 4% girls · 79 babies
How to Say Hayden
- English HAY-den /ˈheɪdən/
1 nickname for Hayden
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
-
Hay 7 births
Hayden in Other Languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling Names for Hayden
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Hayden — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Hayden
What does the name Hayden mean?
Hayden means "hay valley" or "hedged hill," from Old English place-name elements.
Is Hayden a boy's or a girl's name?
Both. It is recorded as unisex in England and Wales and in the United States.
Is Hayden related to Jayden and Kayden?
Only by sound. Hayden has a documented history from 1880; Jayden and Kayden appear in birth records only from the 1980s and 90s.
How popular is the name Hayden?
In 2025, Hayden was given to 2,975 babies in the United States, ranking #161 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
How many syllables are in Hayden?
Hayden has 2 syllables.
When was Hayden most popular?
Hayden peaked in 2008, when 8,611 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Hayden?
Hayden is usually shortened to Hay.
Is Hayden a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Hayden currently ranks #96 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.