Hayden
Meaning of Hayden
Hayden is an English surname that is used as a given name for both boys and girls. Most name dictionaries trace it to a place name, Hayden in Herefordshire, formed from Old English hēg, meaning hay, and denu, meaning valley; the usual sense is hay valley. It is pronounced HAY-dən, the same in both American and British English.
Among the best-known bearers are Hayden Christensen, the Canadian actor who played Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader in the Star Wars prequel films and later series, and Hayden Panettiere, the American actress and singer known for Heroes and Nashville. The name also appears in sports and music, but those are the namesakes most parents are likely to recognize today.
In the United States, Hayden was given to 2,268 babies in 2025, when it ranked No. 161. Its best rank came in 2007, at No. 71, after a steep rise from No. 648 in 1989. The name has eased since that peak but remains well within the top 200 today. Its largest annual count was 6,470 babies in 2006, nearly three times the 2025 figure.
Pronunciation
English
- Pronunced as HAY-dən (/ˈheɪdən/)
U.S. Popularity Chart
States Popularity Chart
Notable People Named Hayden
| Hayden Panettiere is an American actress and singer best known for Heroes, Scream, and Nashville, the latter earning her two Golden Globe nominations. |
| John Hayden Fry was an American college football player and coach who led SMU, North Texas, and Iowa from 1962 to 1998 and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2003. |
| Canadian actor Hayden Christensen is best known for portraying Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader in Star Wars, from the prequel films to the series Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka. |
| Hayden Randle Hurst is an American NFL tight end who played at South Carolina and was a 2018 first round pick of the Baltimore Ravens. |
| Hayden James is an Australian DJ, songwriter and record producer from Sydney, signed to the Future Classic label. |
| Hayden Walsh Jr. - Hayden Rashidi Walsh is an American cricketer, born in the US Virgin Islands to Antiguan father Hayden Walsh Sr, and has represented both the United States and the West Indies as a left handed batsman and right arm leg spinner. |
| Hayden Wilde is a New Zealand triathlete who won Olympic silver in 2024, Olympic bronze in Tokyo, Commonwealth silver in 2022, the 2021 XTERRA world title, and the 2022 Super League Triathlon series. |
| Hayden Byerly is an American actor who began at age 10 and is best known for playing Jude Adams Foster on The Fosters and its spinoff Good Trouble. |
| Hayden Lane Dunhurst is an American professional baseball catcher for the Lake Country DockHounds in the American Association of Professional Baseball. |
| Charles Hayden Buckley is an American PGA Tour golfer who won the 2019 ATB Financial Classic and the 2021 LECOM Suncoast Classic. |
