Declining since 1988, #5,399 for boys today.
Popularity of Paden since 1985
Babies named Paden per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls | Boys |
|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0 | 256 |
| 1990s | 67 | 548 |
| 2000s | 86 | 553 |
| 2010s | 40 | 315 |
| 2020s | 5 | 111 |
Meaning & origin
Paden is a concise American coinage that first appeared on the baby-name landscape in 1985, a time when inventive spellings and the -aden suffix were gaining momentum. Its peak came early, in 1987, at the height of the denim-and-leather decade, but it then began a long, gradual slide. By 2025 the name ranked 5,399, with only about 1 in 100,475 boys receiving it. The name has no ties to any top state and carries no historical baggage, making it a clean slate for parents seeking a short, modern sound. Its trajectory firmly places it in the category of fading 80s inventions, though its crisp two-syllable beat and friendly ending keep it from feeling dated.
Paden first appeared in the U.S. in the 1980s, coinciding with the rise of trendy surname-style and -den ending names (e.g., Jayden, Aiden). Its precise derivation is unclear; it may be a respelling of the surname Payden or a novel formation. No historical usage is known outside the United States.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Pay, Paddy
Variants: Payden
Sibling names for Paden
Names that share Paden's style, for a brother or sister.
