Given name & surname
Harden
“from the hare's valley”
Harden is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “from the hare's valley.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One English interpretation is “from the hare's valley.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is English.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1893. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Harden through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 771
- 771 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1921
- 81 babies
- 2025
- 32
- #3,542 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +182%
- Rising fast
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 32 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 3,542 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 182.5% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 81 in 1921. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 301 as a first name in 2020; 25,878 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Harden’s family of names
Harden has a related form in Hardin. Harden has a related form in Hardan. Harden has a related form in Hardon.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 15
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
People named Harden
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Harden, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Halton
“from the manor on the hill”
>99% boys
Elden
“an old friend”
>99% boys
Hilton
“a wealthy woman” · “from the town on the hill”
85% boys · 15% girls
Harlan
“an athletic woman” · “from the army”
91% boys · 9% girls
Homer
“a tomboyish woman” · “of the pledge; an epic poet”
>99% boys
Harold
“the ruler of an army”
>99% boys
Harvey
“one who is ready for battle” · “a strong man”
98% boys · 2% girls
Harry
“the ruler of an army” · “home”
>99% boys