Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 2023

Harlen

Gender Boy · 3% girls Rank 2025 #2,338 Trend ↑ Rising 19%
Rank 2025
#2,338
among boys · ↓44 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
70
named Harlen · +1% vs 2024
How common
1 in 28,950
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2023
80 babies
All-time total
3,520
#2,330 all-time among boys
First recorded
1907
in Social Security records

Harlen popularity over time

3,520 babies have been named Harlen since 1907, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.020.040.060.0818801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – 10 10 1 – #1,421
1910s – 248 248 25 +2380% #1,006
1920s – 441 441 44 +78% #993
1930s – 517 517 52 +17% #750
1940s – 361 361 36 -30% #932
1950s – 254 254 25 -30% #1,256
1960s – 197 197 20 -22% #1,711
1970s – 112 112 11 -43% #2,553
1980s – 97 97 10 -13% #2,876
1990s – 110 110 11 +13% #3,802
2000s – 196 196 20 +78% #3,010
2010s 45 509 554 55 +183% #2,199
2020s (to 2025) 70 353 423 71 +27% #2,232

Where Harlen is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 60 0.04 outside top 500
2027 62 0.04 outside top 500
2028 63 0.04 outside top 500
2029 64 0.04 outside top 500
2030 64 0.04 outside top 500

The story of Harlen

Harlen is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #2,338 in 2025 with 59 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1907, 3,520 American babies have been named Harlen. Its peak came in 2023, when 80 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2020s.

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 Harlen stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Harlen?

The median living Harlen is about 18 years old; half are between 7 and 62. An estimated 2,100 people named Harlen are alive in the United States today.

median 18 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Harlen 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 11 #9,082 59 #2,338
2024 7 #12,645 62 #2,294
2023 16 #7,053 64 #2,232
2022 16 #7,093 59 #2,388
2021 9 #10,584 59 #2,332
2020 11 #9,162 50 #2,564
2019 7 #12,944 60 #2,299
2018 9 #10,877 53 #2,454
2017 7 #13,214 61 #2,199
2016 8 #12,171 56 #2,347
2015 5 #17,427 60 #2,240
2014 9 #11,318 44 #2,727
2013 – – 39 #2,910
2012 – – 43 #2,792
2011 – – 51 #2,452
2010 – – 42 #2,841
2009 – – 39 #3,010
2008 – – 33 #3,371
2007 – – 20 #4,697
2006 – – 22 #4,281
2005 – – 19 #4,534
2004 – – 15 #5,346
2003 – – 17 #4,680
2002 – – 7 #8,791
2001 – – 14 #5,229
2000 – – 10 #6,498
1995 – – 8 #6,606
1990 – – 12 #4,507
1985 – – 5 #6,930
1980 – – 16 #2,876
1975 – – 9 #3,763
1970 – – 14 #2,553
1965 – – 17 #1,955
1960 – – 22 #1,744
1955 – – 25 #1,554
1950 – – 27 #1,410
1945 – – 30 #1,211
1940 – – 47 #932
1935 – – 58 #819
1930 – – 55 #902
1925 – – 46 #1,016
1920 – – 40 #1,129
1915 – – 38 #1,043
1910 – – 5 #1,693
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Harlen, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Harlen?

The median living Harlen is about 18 years old. Half of all living Harlens are between 7 and 62 years old.

How many people named Harlen are alive today?

An estimated 2,100 people named Harlen are alive in the United States, based on 3,520 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Harlen in 2025?

Harlen ranked #2,338 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 59 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Harlen?

3,520 babies have been named Harlen in the United States since 1907, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Harlen most popular?

Harlen peaked in 2023, when 80 newborns received the name.

Is Harlen a boy or girl name?

Harlen is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 97% of babies with the name.

Is the name Harlen rising or falling?

Harlen is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Harlen become more popular?

Harlen is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 64 boys named Harlen in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Harlen

Names that sound and feel close to Harlen: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Harlen with similar names → More names starting with H →