Dreden
A place name derived from the German city Dresden.
Name Census estimates that about 204 living Americans carry the first name Dreden. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Dreden today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dreden births was 2017 (20 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dreden. 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
204
~ 1 in 1,680,168 Americans
Peak year
2017
20 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2024 SSA rank
#12,768
Tracked since 2004
Popularity
Dreden: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Dreden from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 127 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Dreden 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 Dreden during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Dreden
The given name Dreden is believed to have originated from the Old Germanic language, with its roots traceable back to the 5th century CE. It is derived from the Germanic word "dred," which means "fear" or "dread," and the suffix "-en," which is a diminutive form. The name was initially popular among the Germanic tribes that inhabited parts of modern-day Germany, the Netherlands, and northern France.
One of the earliest known historical references to the name Dreden can be found in the Codex Sangallensis, a 9th-century manuscript containing Old High German glosses. The name appears as "Dredino," which was likely a diminutive form of the name.
In the 11th century, a noblemen named Dreden von Aachen was recorded as a member of the court of Emperor Henry IV of the Holy Roman Empire. Dreden was known for his bravery and loyalty, and he played a significant role in the conflicts between the Emperor and Pope Gregory VII during the Investiture Controversy.
Another notable figure bearing the name Dreden was a 13th-century German monk and chronicler, Dreden von Münster. His writings provide valuable insights into the daily life and events of that era in the region of Westphalia.
During the Renaissance period, a Dutch painter named Dreden van der Velde (1592-1662) gained recognition for his landscape paintings and etchings. His works were highly influential in the development of Dutch Golden Age painting.
In the 18th century, Dreden Hauer (1716-1789) was a prominent German architect and urban planner. He was responsible for the design and construction of several notable buildings and public spaces in Berlin and other cities across Prussia.
Throughout history, the name Dreden has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, artists, military personnel, and religious figures. While its usage has waned in modern times, it remains a testament to the rich cultural heritage and linguistic diversity of the Germanic regions.
People
Dreden + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dreden 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
Dreden: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dreden?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 204 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dreden 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 1,680,168 US residents.
Is Dreden a common name?
We classify Dreden as "Very Rare". It ranks above 74.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 206 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dreden most popular?
The single biggest year for Dreden was 2017, when 20 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dreden is about 13 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Dreden a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Dreden 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.