Fun Facts About the Name Harden
- 770 babies named Harden: U.S. records list 770 babies given the name Harden from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Harden Mean?
Harden is an English surname and occasional given name derived from a place name meaning hare valley. The place name comes from Old English hara (hare) and denu (valley). It is not related to the English verb harden (to make hard), which comes from a different Old English word, heard (hard). A less common explanation traces some Harden families to the Norman personal name Harduin (from Germanic Hardwin, hard + friend), but for the English surname the habitational origin is the usual one. The name belongs to English and is used in English-speaking countries.
Harden Name History & Origins
The place name Harden in West Yorkshire is an example of the source. It appears in Domesday Book (1086) as Haredene, a form that reflects the Old English elements hara and denu. Other English places named Harden also contributed to the surname. In the Middle Ages, a person who moved from such a place could be identified by it, and the byname became hereditary. The surname Harden spread across England and later to North America and other English-speaking regions.
As a given name, Harden is a transferred use of the surname. This follows the English custom of using family surnames as first names, which became more widespread in the 19th century. Harden is used only occasionally as a first name. It is distinct from the similar surname Harding, which comes from the Old English personal name Hearding (son or descendant of Heard), and from Hardin, which is often derived from the Norman personal name Harduin.
How Popular is the Name Harden?
Harden recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1921. Its best rank was #735 in 1921.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #3,542 | 32 | 0.0019% |
| 2024 | #4,224 | 25 | 0.0015% |
| 2023 | #3,192 | 38 | 0.0022% |
| 2022 | #3,643 | 31 | 0.0018% |
| 2021 | #3,382 | 34 | 0.0019% |
| 2020 | #3,955 | 26 | 0.0015% |
| 2019 | #6,546 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2018 | #10,041 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2017 | #11,251 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2016 | #12,899 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2015 | #9,925 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2013 | #9,089 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2012 | #12,930 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2003 | #11,516 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1983 | #6,650 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1977 | #5,386 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1965 | #4,135 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1961 | #3,796 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1957 | #3,370 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1956 | #3,059 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1955 | #3,065 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1954 | #3,602 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1953 | #4,036 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1952 | #2,427 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1951 | #2,937 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1950 | #2,495 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1949 | #3,127 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1948 | #3,127 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1947 | #2,111 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1946 | #3,011 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1945 | #2,472 | 9 | 0.0007% |
| 1941 | #3,293 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1940 | #2,978 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1939 | #3,696 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1938 | #2,550 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1937 | #3,745 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1936 | #3,762 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1932 | #2,960 | 8 | 0.0008% |
| 1931 | #2,952 | 8 | 0.0008% |
| 1930 | #3,423 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1929 | #2,838 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1928 | #2,446 | 12 | 0.0011% |
| 1927 | #2,145 | 15 | 0.0013% |
| 1926 | #2,479 | 12 | 0.0011% |
| 1925 | #2,498 | 12 | 0.0011% |
| 1924 | #1,805 | 20 | 0.0018% |
| 1923 | #2,061 | 16 | 0.0015% |
| 1922 | #1,004 | 50 | 0.0046% |
| 1921 | #735 | 81 | 0.0074% |
| 1920 | #1,024 | 46 | 0.0043% |
| 1919 | #1,919 | 17 | 0.0017% |
| 1918 | #2,767 | 10 | 0.0010% |
| 1917 | #2,831 | 9 | 0.0010% |
| 1916 | #3,315 | 7 | 0.0008% |
| 1915 | #3,210 | 7 | 0.0008% |
| 1913 | #3,011 | 5 | 0.0010% |
| 1909 | #1,358 | 6 | 0.0037% |
| 1893 | #1,103 | 5 | 0.0045% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Harden Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You attract success and money. You are a lover of nature and do not need others for your happiness. You are self sufficient. You strive for material success and power and have business sense. You possess strong organizational abilities, can be a good manager, and executive by nature. You are capable of great achievement in business and finance. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.
✦ Harden's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Harden's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.