Arden

• Origin: English
• Meaning: “high.”
• Gender: unisex
• First Est. 17th-century as a male name

From the transferred use of an English place name and surname, Arden is of uncertain etymology. The Warwickshire place name is generally believed to derive from a Celtic element meaning “high” or “high place,” cognate with the name of the Ardennes in continental Europe. The Forest of Arden is a historic region of Warwickshire that has long been associated with William Shakespeare, whose mother’s maiden name was Mary Arden. Shakespeare famously used the Forest of Arden as the setting of As You Like It, though the fictional forest also draws upon the Ardennes of France and Belgium, where Shakespeare’s source material was set.

The name came into use as a masculine given name as early as the 17th century, often through the practice of bestowing a family surname as a given name. It was notably used in the Adderley family. The elaborated feminine forms Ardena and Ardenia can be found in North American records by the early 18th century.

Arden entered the U.S. Top 1000 male names in 1881 and subsequently moved in and out of the rankings through much of the 20th century. It reached its highest historical rank of #466. It appeared once more in 2024, coming it at #942. More recently, the name has experienced renewed masculine usage in England and Wales, where it ranked #716 in 2025.

Usage among females is documented by the early 20th century. Arden first entered the U.S. Top 1000 female names in 1929, peaking at #738 in 1930 and remaining in the rankings through 1931. After a long absence, it returned to the Top 1000 in 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019, before falling out again. It reappeared in 2025 at #975.

Sister Names: Afton, Ainsley, Aspen, Bellamy, Bergen, Blair(e), Cambrie, Chelsea, Dallas, Darcy, Denver, Eden, Ember, Ensley, Fallon, Greenley, Hadley, Harper, Henley, Jersey, Jordan, Kendall, Kimber, Kenzie, Laken, Lennox, Lumen, Mariel, Meredith, Merritt, Oakley, Oaklyn, Penrose, Piper, Poe, Raelyn, Robin, Rowan, Sheridan, Shirley, Sloan, Truett, Winslet, Willoughby, Wren, Yarrow

Brother Names: Adler, Alden, Bennet(t), Blaine, Byron, Callum, Camden, Clyde, Dashiell, Dexter, Drake, Emory, Everest, Fisher, Forest, Fletcher, Garrett, Harlem, Heath, Hudson, Jones, Jordan, Keaton, Langston, Laith, Lance, Memphis, Palmer, Peyton, Porter, Rayden, Rhodes, Ryatt, Taylor, Thatcher, Truce, Wallace, Westley, Wilder

Sources

• https://www.behindthename.com/name/arden
• https://www.ssa.gov/cgi-bin/babyname.cgi
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arden,_Warwickshire
• https://www.findagrave.com/