Walden
Boy name · #3187 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Walden? In official American birth records, Walden has been tracked continuously since 1908, giving it 117 years of documented American history.
Walden is currently the #3187 boy name in the United States — 37 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #2966, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 48,649 boys born in 2025 was named Walden.
The 117-year story
Walden first appears in the Social Security records in 1908, when 5 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2023, with 55 babies and a rank of #2441. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Walden per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Walden against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Walden in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Walden is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Walden will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Walden is most common
State-level data for Walden is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Walden
Statistically, parents drawn to Walden tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Tilden, Yeiden, Golden, Xayden, and Whitten.
TildenYeidenGoldenXaydenWhittenJeydenKeydenXaiden
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Walden | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 37 | #3181 |
| 2024 | 38 | #3161 |
| 2023 | 55 | #2441 |
| 2022 | 36 | #3278 |
| 2021 | 31 | #3582 |
| 2020 | 44 | #2759 |
| 2019 | 47 | #2694 |
| 2018 | 54 | #2417 |
| 2017 | 46 | #2672 |
| 2016 | 40 | #2935 |
| 2015 | 39 | #2966 |
| 2014 | 28 | #3693 |
| 2013 | 39 | #2895 |
| 2012 | 21 | #4533 |
| 2011 | 18 | #4983 |
| 2010 | 18 | #5047 |
| 2009 | 7 | #9864 |
| 2008 | 16 | #5487 |
| 2007 | 12 | #6622 |
| 2006 | 9 | #7998 |
| 2005 | 8 | #8299 |
| 2004 | 5 | #11356 |
| 2003 | 8 | #7831 |
| 2002 | 5 | #10667 |
| 2001 | 6 | #9243 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Walden?
In official American birth records, the name Walden first appeared in 1908 (over 117 years ago), when 5 newborn boys received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 117 years.
Is Walden a popular boy name?
Walden ranked #3187 among boys in 2025 with 37 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2966.
When was the name Walden most popular?
Walden peaked in 2023, when 55 American boys received the name (ranked #2441 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Walden?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 48,649 newborn American boys was named Walden. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.