Total births
18,221
Unisex name · since 1880
Alden
18,221 babies named Alden in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 2024. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #576
- among boys today
- 18,221
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Alden is the #576 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 18,221 recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Alden has been recorded 18,221 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #576 nationally and more common than 96% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #576 among boys today
- 18,221 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
- 96% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Alden is currently the #576 unisex name in America, more common than 96% of boys - 18,221 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #576
- among boys today
- 18,221
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other boys
Alden vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#576
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 96% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
19% of everyone ever named Alden was born in this single decade.
2024
Single peak year
494 babies were named Alden in 2024 - its busiest year on record.
How Alden compares
18,221 Top 6% higher than 94% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Alden's all-time total is 50x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Alden | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 18,221 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 494 | 23 | 22,252 |
Alden's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Alden's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 68% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 32%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1885, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2024 peak of 494, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Alden at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2024
Current rank
#576
Active since
1880
Alden popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2024)
- 494
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Alden popularity over time - girls
952 total births recorded since 1924 (Alden as girls' name)
Alden by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Alden's strongest decade.
3,444 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 19% of all-time use.
Alden births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 77
1880s
77 births
- 1890s 94
1890s
94 births
- 1900s 159
1900s
159 births
- 1910s 1,187
1910s
1,187 births
- 1920s
1920s
1,748 births
- 1930s 1,290
1930s
1,290 births
- 1940s 1,049
1940s
1,049 births
- 1950s 939
1950s
939 births
- 1960s 720
1960s
720 births
- 1970s 497
1970s
497 births
- 1980s 800
1980s
800 births
- 1990s 1,310
1990s
1,310 births
- 2000s
2000s
2,277 births
- 2010s
2010s
3,444 births
- 2020s
2020s
2,630 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 3,444 births (19% of all-time use).
How Alden compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Alden's total volume
Alden vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Alden by state
Where Alden concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 1,610 | 8.8% |
| #2 | Massachusetts | | 856 | 4.7% |
| #3 | New York | | 850 | 4.7% |
| #4 | Michigan | | 691 | 3.8% |
| #5 | Texas | | 646 | 3.5% |
| #6 | Minnesota | | 580 | 3.2% |
| #7 | Washington | | 472 | 2.6% |
| #8 | Pennsylvania | | 454 | 2.5% |
California share of Alden's total US births 8.8%
Even split
1,610 of 18,221 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 47 reporting states.
Alden appears in 47 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Alden? ▼
Alden has been given to 18,221 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #576 as of the latest data. 494 babies were born in 2024, its single highest year.
When was Alden most popular? ▼
Alden was most popular in the 2010s decade with 3,444 total births. The single peak year was 2024.
Where is Alden most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Alden are California (1,610 births), Massachusetts (856 births), New York (850 births).
Is Alden a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Alden is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 18,221 births, and as a girl's name it has 952 births.
How long has the name Alden been used? ▼
Alden has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Alden? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Aldo, Aldon, Aldair, Alder, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Alden's data
- Alden's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (3,444 total births) through the 2020s (2,630) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Aldens (1,610 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Alden
Nearby Names Like Alden
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Alden
Aldo Boy
#995 17,728 births
Aldon Boy
#5081 1,618 births
Aldair Boy
#3316 1,454 births
Alder Boy
#1425 1,363 births
Aldin Boy
#5475 721 births
Compare Alden side by side: Alden vs Aldo Alden vs Aldon Alden vs Aldair
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Alden
Ronald #575
1,082,247 births · Peak 1947
Caspian #577
4,170 births · Peak 2025
Zaiden #574
11,550 births · Peak 2013
Arturo #578
57,082 births · Peak 2005
Louie #573
30,992 births · Peak 2024
Rayan #579
8,895 births · Peak 2023
Allen #572
271,796 births · Peak 1951
Major #580
21,673 births · Peak 2017
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Alden: #576 Unisex Name - 18,221 Births, Peak 2024." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/alden. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Alden draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.