Draden
Of unknown meaning, potentially derived from a Welsh surname.
Name Census estimates that about 229 living Americans carry the first name Draden. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Draden today is around 17 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Draden births was 2008 (32 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Draden. 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
229
~ 1 in 1,496,744 Americans
Peak year
2008
32 babies that year
Average age
17
years old
2020 SSA rank
#10,974
Tracked since 2001
Popularity
Draden: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Draden from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 132 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
Draden 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 Draden during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Dradens live
Origin
Meaning and history of Draden
The name Draden has its origins in ancient Celtic cultures, with roots dating back to the 5th century AD. It is believed to be derived from the Proto-Celtic word "dravon," meaning "wanderer" or "traveler." The name gained popularity among the Britons and other Celtic tribes who inhabited the British Isles and parts of continental Europe.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Draden can be found in the historic annals of the Kingdom of Powys, a Welsh kingdom that existed from the 5th to the 11th century. In these records, a chieftain named Draden ap Cadwallon is mentioned, who ruled over a portion of the kingdom in the late 6th century.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Draden appeared sporadically in various historical documents and literary works. It is worth noting that the spelling and pronunciation of the name evolved over time, with variations such as "Dradyn," "Drayden," and "Draydon" being observed.
In the 12th century, a notable figure named Draden ap Rhys was a Welsh poet and bard who gained recognition for his poetic works celebrating the valor of Welsh warriors. His poems were preserved in the famous manuscript known as the "Black Book of Carmarthen."
During the 13th century, a Draden de Montfort was recorded as a knight who fought alongside Simon de Montfort during the Second Barons' War in England. He was commended for his bravery in the Battle of Lewes in 1264.
In the 15th century, a Draden Glyndwr was a prominent Welsh landowner and supporter of the Welsh rebel leader Owain Glyndwr during the Welsh Revolt against English rule. He played a significant role in the uprising and is mentioned in contemporary accounts of the time.
Another notable figure bearing the name Draden was Draden Mawr, a 16th-century Welsh poet and scholar who made significant contributions to the preservation of Welsh literature and cultural heritage. His works are still studied and celebrated today.
While the name Draden has its roots in Celtic culture and history, it has also been adopted and used by various other cultures and communities over the centuries, albeit with varying spellings and pronunciations.
People
Draden + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Draden as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with D
Other first names starting with D with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Draden: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Draden?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 229 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Draden 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 1,496,744 US residents.
Is Draden a common name?
We classify Draden as "Very Rare". It ranks above 75.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 231 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Draden most popular?
The single biggest year for Draden was 2008, when 32 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Draden is about 17 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Draden a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Draden 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.