Holden

Holden - A very unique male name

Holden appeared on the charts for the first time in 1986 on position #1695. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Holden and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Holden? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Holden. The baby boy name Holden was given to 1,122 baby boys in 2025, ranking #294 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 1,307 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Holden peaked in popularity 8 years ago in 2018 on position 217.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Holden, 1-5?

Holden is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Holden is currently topping the baby name charts in West Virginia at position #90 - and is the least popular in New Jersey at position #729.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Holden is where you live.

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Holden origin and meaning

English — transferred surname and place name

From an English place name: hol (hollow, deep) + denu (valley) — 'settlement in the hollow valley'

Holden is an Old English valley place name that became a surname and, very late, a first name — it only enters US data in 1986, decades after Holden Caulfield made it famous in The Catcher in the Rye (1951). Parents took another generation to adopt a rebel's name for babies. It peaked in 2018 and has fallen to #294.

Attested etymology

Holden is a 6 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Holden, pop culture references for the name Holden and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Holden

We've found the following names that sound similar to Holden, sorted by popularity.

Hilton / Holton / Holdyn / Hilding / Holten /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Holden

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Holden a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Holden?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

HOHL-den · /ˈhoʊldən/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Spellings and nicknames

• Holdyn — Modern y spelling

Famous bearers

• Holden Caulfield — Teenage narrator hero of J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye (Fictional, 1951) Fictional

Style

SurnameLiteraryPlace name

Why parents choose it

Holden is chosen almost entirely for its literary aura — sensitive, questioning, a little rebellious — in a tidy surname shape.

Worth knowing

• Caulfield is a famously alienated character; expect the phoniness jokes and Catcher references for life.
• It is confused with Holden's sound-alikes Hayden and Colton in noisy settings.