Total births
3,405
Boys' name · since 1907
Harlen
Harlen has 3,405 recorded births since 1907 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1936 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #2291
- among boys today
- 3,405
- born since 1907
- 1930s
- peak decade
- 84%
- more common than other boys
Harlen currently ranks #2291 among boys' names in America, with 3,405 babies recorded since 1907.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Harlen has been recorded 3,405 times among boys since 1907, currently ranked #2291 nationally and more common than 84% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1930s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1907 to 2025.
- #2291 among boys today
- 3,405 born since 1907
- 1930s peak decade
- 84% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Harlen is currently the #2291 boys' name in America, more common than 84% of boys - 3,405 born since 1907, peaking in the 1930s.
- #2291
- among boys today
- 3,405
- born since 1907
- 1930s
- peak decade
- 84%
- more common than other boys
Harlen vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#2291
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 84% of names given to boys today.
1930s
Peak decade
15% of everyone ever named Harlen was born in this single decade.
1936
Single peak year
65 babies were named Harlen in 1936 - its busiest year on record.
How Harlen compares
3,405 Top 15% higher than 85% 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
Harlen's all-time total is 9x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Harlen | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 3,405 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 65 | 23 | 22,252 |
Harlen's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Harlen splits its recorded history at 1967: 42% of all births land in the more recent half, 58% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1907 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1936 peak of 65 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Harlen at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1936
Current rank
#2,291
Active since
1907
Harlen popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1907–2025
- Peak year (1936)
- 65
- Annual births at peak, across 119 years of records
Harlen popularity over time - girls
115 total births recorded since 2014 (Harlen as girls' name)
Harlen by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1930s was Harlen's strongest decade.
517 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 15% of all-time use.
Harlen births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1900s 10
1900s
10 births
- 1910s
1910s
248 births
- 1920s
1920s
441 births
- 1930s
1930s
517 births
- 1940s
1940s
361 births
- 1950s
1950s
254 births
- 1960s 197
1960s
197 births
- 1970s 112
1970s
112 births
- 1980s 97
1980s
97 births
- 1990s 110
1990s
110 births
- 2000s 196
2000s
196 births
- 2010s
2010s
509 births
- 2020s
2020s
353 births
What this shows Peak: 1930s at 517 births (15% of all-time use).
How Harlen 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 Harlen's total volume
Harlen vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Harlen by state
Where Harlen concentrates geographically, total births since 1907
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Kentucky | | 88 | 2.6% |
| #2 | Texas | | 83 | 2.4% |
| #3 | West Virginia | | 44 | 1.3% |
| #4 | Minnesota | | 36 | 1.1% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 29 | 0.9% |
| #6 | California | | 21 | 0.6% |
| #7 | Tennessee | | 21 | 0.6% |
| #8 | Wisconsin | | 18 | 0.5% |
Kentucky share of Harlen's total US births 2.6%
Even split
88 of 3,405 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 17 reporting states.
Harlen appears in 17 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Harlen? ▼
3,405 babies have been named Harlen since 1907. It currently ranks #2291 among boys. The peak year was 1936 with 65 births.
When was Harlen most popular? ▼
Harlen was most popular in the 1930s decade with 517 total births. The single peak year was 1936.
Where is Harlen most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Harlen are Kentucky (88 births), Texas (83 births), West Virginia (44 births).
How long has the name Harlen been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Harlen since 1907 -- 119 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Harlen? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Harold, Harry, Harvey, Harrison, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Harlen's data
- Harlen's usage has stayed within range of its 1930s decade-level peak (517 total births) through the 2020s (353) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Kentucky records the most Harlens (88 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Kentucky 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 Harlen
Nearby Names Like Harlen
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Harlen
Harold Boy
#988 551,632 births
Harry Boy
#775 423,866 births
Harvey Boy
#245 127,925 births
Harrison Boy
#121 99,138 births
Harley Boy
#1019 40,705 births
Compare Harlen side by side: Harlen vs Harold Harlen vs Harry Harlen vs Harvey
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Harlen
Patricio #2290
4,619 births · Peak 2009
Stefano #2292
3,150 births · Peak 1993
Glen #2289
125,706 births · Peak 1957
Patton #2293
1,664 births · Peak 2015
Marion #2288
72,495 births · Peak 1921
Banner #2294
799 births · Peak 2023
Finan #2287
348 births · Peak 2023
Leviticus #2295
1,508 births · Peak 2023
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, 1907–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Harlen: #2291 Boys' Name - 3,405 Births, Peak 1936." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/harlen. 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 Harlen 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.