Walden
Walden is a surname and given name.
Meaning & Origin of Walden
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Walden is a surname and given name.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Walden
Walden first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1908, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2023, when 55 Waldens were born — ranking #2,438 that year. As of 2026, Walden ranks #2,940 for baby boys with 43 births, holding steady (-4%). In total, more than 2K Waldens have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1900s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Walden
Phonetically similar names — useful when Walden 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 Walden
What does the name Walden mean?
How popular is Walden in 2026?
When was Walden most popular?
In which U.S. states is Walden most popular?
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About the name Walden
Walden is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1908 and has accumulated 2K births in the dataset. Walden's peak popularity came in 2023 when it ranked #1,373. Use the chart and map above to compare Walden's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2023 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "W" →
- 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.