Holden
Holden is an English given name that comes from a surname meaning "deep valley" in Old English. The most well-known use of Holden as a given name is in J. D. Salinger's 1951 novel The Catcher in the Rye, in which the protagonist bears the name Holden Caulfield. In the US, Holden began rising in use in 1986 after Holden Snyder became a character on the soap opera As the World Turns.
Meaning & Origin of Holden
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Holden is an English given name that comes from a surname meaning "deep valley" in Old English. The most well-known use of Holden as a given name is in J. D. Salinger's 1951 novel The Catcher in the Rye, in which the protagonist bears the name Holden Caulfield. In the US, Holden began rising in use in 1986 after Holden Snyder became a character on the soap opera As the World Turns.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Holden
Holden first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1902, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2018, when 1,731 Holdens were born — ranking #217 that year. As of 2026, Holden ranks #337 for baby boys with 1,034 births, falling sharply (-27%). In total, more than 33K Holdens have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1900s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Holden
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Holden Bowler (1912–2001), American athlete, singer and businessman
- Holden Furber (1903–1993), American historian and professor
- Holden Karnofsky , American nonprofit executive
- Holden Powell (born 1999), American baseball player
- Holden C. Richardson (1878–1960), pioneer in U.S. naval aviation
- Holden Roberto (1923–2007), founder and leader of the National Liberation Front of Angola
- Holden Staes (born 2003), American football player
- Holden Thorp (born 1964), American chemist, inventor, musician, professor, and entrepreneur
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Holden
Phonetically similar names — useful when Holden 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 Holden
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About the name Holden
Holden is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1902 and has accumulated 33K births in the dataset. Holden's peak popularity came in 2018 when it ranked #217. Use the chart and map above to compare Holden's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2018 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "H" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.