Bladen
Of uncertain origin, it's possibly a variant of the English surname Bladen, derived from a place name.
Name Census estimates that about 863 living Americans carry the first name Bladen. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Bladen today is around 17 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Bladen births was 2009 (69 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Bladen. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
863
~ 1 in 397,166 Americans
Peak year
2009
69 babies that year
Average age
17
years old
2024 SSA rank
#9,069
Tracked since 1993
Popularity
Bladen: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Bladen from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 421 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Bladen by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Bladen during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Bladens live
The SSA's state-level files cover 9 states and territories. North Carolina, Texas, California recorded the most babies named Bladen, while Pennsylvania, Ohio, Nebraska recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 19 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Bladen
The name Bladen is of Old English origin, derived from the word "blæd," meaning "branch" or "leaf." It is believed to have originated as a surname, referring to someone who lived near a prominent tree or wooded area. The earliest recorded use of the name Bladen dates back to the 11th century.
In the Middle Ages, the name Bladen was associated with nature and fertility. It was often given to children born in the spring or during times of agricultural abundance. Some historians suggest that the name may have been used as a symbol of prosperity and growth.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name Bladen was Bladen of Saxony (c. 1050-1120), a German nobleman and landowner. He is mentioned in several medieval chronicles for his role in the expansion of his family's estates.
In the 16th century, Bladen Smith (1520-1589) was a prominent English merchant and explorer. He is credited with establishing trade routes between England and the West Indies, contributing to the growth of British colonial interests in the Caribbean.
During the 17th century, Bladen Macintosh (1630-1701) was a Scottish soldier and diplomat. He served as an envoy to the court of King Louis XIV of France and played a role in negotiating the Treaty of Ryswick in 1697.
In the 18th century, Bladen Marsham (1712-1784) was an English politician and landowner. He served as a Member of Parliament for several decades and was known for his support of agricultural reforms and land management practices.
Another notable figure was Bladen Powell (1760-1835), an American soldier and explorer. He was a veteran of the Revolutionary War and later led expeditions into the western territories, contributing to the mapping and exploration of the American West.
Throughout history, the name Bladen has been associated with themes of nature, growth, and exploration. While its popularity has waxed and waned over the centuries, it remains a unique and meaningful name with deep roots in various cultures and traditions.
People
Bladen + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Bladen as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with B
Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Bladen: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Bladen?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 863 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Bladen going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 397,166 US residents.
Is Bladen a common name?
We classify Bladen as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 872 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Bladen most popular?
The single biggest year for Bladen was 2009, when 69 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Bladen is about 17 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Bladen a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Bladen in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.