Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 2023

Walden

Meaning Welshman Gender Boy Rank 2025 #3,233 Trend → Stable

From Old English walh (“Welshman”), genitive plural wala + denu (“valley”).

Rank 2025
#3,233
among boys · ↓23 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
37
named Walden · -3% vs 2024
How common
1 in 46,164
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2023
55 babies
All-time total
1,527
#3,910 all-time among boys
First recorded
1908
in Social Security records

Walden popularity over time

1,527 babies have been named Walden since 1908, 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
0.010.020.030.0418801900192019401960198020002020Peak 1908Boys

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 Boys Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – –
1890s – – – –
1900s 5 1 – #1,579
1910s 107 11 +2040% #1,502
1920s 183 18 +71% #1,512
1930s 136 14 -26% #1,535
1940s 116 12 -15% #1,819
1950s 113 11 -3% #1,763
1960s 77 8 -32% #2,899
1970s 56 6 -27% #3,361
1980s 42 4 -25% #6,215
1990s 18 2 -57% #7,936
2000s 83 8 +361% #5,755
2010s 350 35 +322% #2,443
2020s (to 2025) 241 40 +15% #2,476

Where Walden 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 36 0.02 outside top 500
2027 35 0.02 outside top 500
2028 35 0.02 outside top 500
2029 34 0.02 outside top 500
2030 34 0.02 outside top 500

The story of Walden

Walden is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #3,233 in 2025 with 37 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1908, 1,527 American babies have been named Walden. Its peak came in 2023, when 55 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 Walden stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Walden?

The median living Walden is about 12 years old; half are between 6 and 53. An estimated 1,000 people named Walden are alive in the United States today.

median 12 020406080100

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

Walden year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 37 #3,233
2024 38 #3,210
2023 55 #2,476
2022 36 #3,332
2021 31 #3,648
2020 44 #2,803
2019 47 #2,732
2018 54 #2,443
2017 46 #2,711
2016 40 #2,987
2015 39 #3,018
2014 28 #3,781
2013 39 #2,952
2012 21 #4,674
2011 18 #5,188
2010 18 #5,236
2009 7 #10,918
2008 16 #5,755
2007 12 #7,057
2006 9 #8,681
2005 8 #9,061
2004 5 #13,132
2003 8 #8,598
2002 5 #12,415
2001 6 #10,496
2000 7 #9,085
1995 5 #10,273
1990 – –
1985 – –
1980 6 #6,215
1975 – –
1970 8 #3,825
1965 5 #4,414
1960 9 #3,071
1955 14 #2,217
1950 10 #2,574
1945 6 #3,323
1940 10 #2,474
1935 8 #2,934
1930 20 #1,691
1925 18 #1,932
1920 20 #1,816
1915 22 #1,502
1910 – –
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Walden?

The median living Walden is about 12 years old. Half of all living Waldens are between 6 and 53 years old.

How many people named Walden are alive today?

An estimated 1,000 people named Walden are alive in the United States, based on 1,527 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Walden mean?

From Old English walh (“Welshman”), genitive plural wala + denu (“valley”).

How popular is the name Walden in 2025?

Walden ranked #3,233 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 37 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Walden?

1,527 babies have been named Walden in the United States since 1908, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Walden most popular?

Walden peaked in 2023, when 55 newborns received the name.

Is Walden a boy or girl name?

Walden is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Walden rising or falling?

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

Will Walden become more popular?

Walden is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 34 boys named Walden in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Walden

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

Compare Walden with similar names → More names starting with W →