Dryden
A name derived from an Old English surname meaning "dry valley".
Name Census estimates that about 450 living Americans carry the first name Dryden. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Dryden today is around 19 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dryden births was 2007 (31 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dryden. 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
450
~ 1 in 761,676 Americans
Peak year
2007
31 babies that year
Average age
19
years old
2023 SSA rank
#11,191
Tracked since 1992
Popularity
Dryden: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Dryden 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 226 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
Dryden 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 Dryden during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Drydens live
Origin
Meaning and history of Dryden
The name Dryden has its origins in Old English, derived from the words "dryge" (dry) and "denu" (valley or den). It likely originated as a place name referring to a dry valley or dry den, and was later adopted as a surname. The earliest recorded use of Dryden as a surname dates back to the 12th century in England.
One of the most famous individuals with the name Dryden was the English poet and literary critic John Dryden (1631-1700). He was a prominent figure in the Restoration period and is considered a master of heroic couplets and satire. His works include "Absalom and Achitophel," "MacFlecknoe," and translations of classical works like Virgil's "Aeneid."
Another notable bearer of the name was Charles Dryden (1781-1860), an English clergyman and editor who published an influential edition of Sir Walter Scott's works. He also served as the rector of Bamburgh in Northumberland.
In the United States, one of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Dryden was John Dryden (1631-1701), a Quaker who emigrated to Pennsylvania in the late 17th century. He was a prominent member of the Quaker community and served as a member of the Provincial Council of Pennsylvania.
Robert Dryden (1856-1929) was a Canadian businessman and politician who served as the sixth Premier of Ontario from 1905 to 1910. He played a significant role in the development of the hydroelectric power industry in Ontario.
In the field of medicine, John Dryden (1909-1989) was a British physician and medical researcher who made significant contributions to the understanding of diabetes and metabolic disorders. He served as the president of the British Diabetic Association and was knighted for his contributions to medicine.
While the name Dryden has its roots in Old English and was initially used as a place name or surname, it has been adopted as a given name over time. These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have borne the name Dryden throughout history, showcasing its enduring presence across various fields and cultures.
People
Dryden + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dryden 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
Dryden: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dryden?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 450 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dryden 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 761,676 US residents.
Is Dryden a common name?
We classify Dryden as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 456 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dryden most popular?
The single biggest year for Dryden was 2007, when 31 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dryden is about 19 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Dryden a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Dryden 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.