Unisex · #9,864 in 2026

Challen

Challen is a given name. Notable people with the name include:Challen Cates, American independent film producer and actress Challen Skeet (1895–1978), English first-class cricketer

Current Rank
#9,864
Peak Rank
#4,873 (1992)
Total Babies
71
5-Yr Trend
Stable
👧 Girl peak #13,429 (5 total)
👦 Boy peak #4,873 (71 total)
👦As Boy Name
1990
First Year
2009
Last Year
1992
Peak Year
#4873
Peak Rank
71
Total Count
10
Years Active
👧As Girl Name
1994
First Year
1994
Last Year
1994
Peak Year
#13429
Peak Rank
5
Total Count
1
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Challen

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Challen is a given name. Notable people with the name include:Challen Cates, American independent film producer and actress Challen Skeet (1895–1978), English first-class cricketer

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Challen

As a girl name

The earliest SSA record of Challen as a girl name dates back to 1994, when 5 babies received it. 1994 was its biggest year on record, with 5 newborns named Challen — #13,429 in the national rankings. Challen last appeared in the published SSA data in 1994, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 5 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1990s to the 2020s.

As a boy name

The earliest SSA record of Challen as a boy name dates back to 1990, when 6 babies received it. 1992 was its biggest year on record, with 11 newborns named Challen — #4,873 in the national rankings. About 76% of every Challen on record arrived during the 1990s, its defining decade. Challen last appeared in the published SSA data in 2009, with 7 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 71 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1990s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Girls Boys

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Challen

Phonetically similar names — useful when Challen is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Challen

What does the name Challen mean?
Challen is a given name. Notable people with the name include:Challen Cates, American independent film producer and actress Challen Skeet (1895–1978), English first-class cricketer
How popular is Challen in 2026?
In 2026, Challen ranks #9,864 among boys' names in the U.S., with 7 babies given the name that year.
When was Challen most popular?
Challen reached its peak popularity in 1992, ranking #4,873 that year with 11 babies given the name.
Is Challen a unisex name?
Yes — Challen is used for both girls and boys in U.S. records, with about 7% of Challens assigned female and 93% assigned male historically.
What names go well with Challen?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Challen include Branford, Deveron, Cartrell. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Challen

Challen is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1990 and has accumulated 71 births in the dataset. Challen's peak popularity came in 1992 when it ranked #4,873. Use the chart and map above to compare Challen's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.