Pronunciation heɪdən Language(s) English Derivation heidano | Gender Unisex Language(s) Old High German Meaning heathen | |
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Hayden is a given name in the English language. The name is variant of the given name Haydn, which is derived from the surname Haydn in honour of composer Joseph Haydn (1732–1809). The surname Haydn originated as a respelling of the nickname Heiden, meaning "heathen". The name is derived from the Middle High German heiden, and from the Old High German heidano.
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The form Haydn was generally considered a masculine given name up until the mid 20th century. The popularity of Hayden has been influenced by the popularity of similar-sounding names such as Aidan, Braden, Caden, and Jaden.
In the United States, the name became progressively less used for males, dropping out of the top 1,000 names before 1950. In the 1980s, the name reappeared, but was used for both males and females, with increasing popularity. Its popularity in the United States peaked at 2007 at 72nd most popular male name and in 2008 as the 127th most popular female name. As a male name, Hayden also made a comeback in Australia in the 1980s and continues to reign in the top 100. In 2014, it came in at No. 66, up from No. 68 in 2013, but down from No. 52 in 2012 and No. 43 in 2011.