Falen
Variant spelling of the name Fallon, of Irish origin meaning "superior leader".
Name Census estimates that about 184 living Americans carry the first name Falen. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Falen today is around 34 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Falen births was 1983 (21 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Falen. 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
184
~ 1 in 1,862,795 Americans
Peak year
1983
21 babies that year
Average age
34
years old
2015 SSA rank
#13,455
Tracked since 1981
Popularity
Falen: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Falen from the 1980s through to the 2010s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 110 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Falen 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 Falen 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 Falen
The name Falen is believed to have its origins in the ancient Germanic languages, dating back to the 5th century AD. It is derived from the Proto-Germanic root "fal-," which means "rock" or "cliff." This root is also found in other Germanic names such as Falco and Falken.
In the early medieval period, the name Falen was primarily used in regions inhabited by Germanic tribes, particularly in present-day Germany, Austria, and parts of Scandinavia. It was often associated with strength, resilience, and a connection to nature.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Falen can be found in the Codex Argenteus, a 6th-century Gothic manuscript containing portions of the Bible translated into the Gothic language. In this text, the name Falen appears as a variant spelling of the name Falko, which was given to a character described as a brave and loyal warrior.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Falen. One of the earliest was Falen the Younger (c. 720-785), a Frankish scholar and theologian who served as an advisor to Charlemagne. He was known for his influential writings on theology and philosophy.
Another prominent figure with this name was Falen von Mecklenburg (1311-1379), a German nobleman and military commander who played a crucial role in the Hundred Years' War. He was renowned for his strategic brilliance and leadership on the battlefield.
In the 16th century, Falen Gundelfinger (1525-1589) was a renowned German artist and engraver, celebrated for his intricate woodcuts and engravings depicting religious and mythological scenes.
During the Renaissance period, Falen Valois (1543-1602) was a French nobleman and patron of the arts. He commissioned numerous works of art and architecture, contributing significantly to the cultural renaissance of his time.
More recently, Falen Hickok (1867-1934) was an American writer and journalist who gained fame for his vivid accounts of life in the American West during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
While the name Falen has waxed and waned in popularity over the centuries, its rich historical roots and associations with strength, resilience, and a connection to nature have endured, making it a unique and intriguing choice for a given name.
People
Falen + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Falen as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with F
Other first names starting with F with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Falen: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Falen?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 184 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Falen 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 1,862,795 US residents.
Is Falen a common name?
We classify Falen as "Very Rare". It ranks above 73.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 192 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Falen most popular?
The single biggest year for Falen was 1983, when 21 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Falen is about 34 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Falen a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Falen in the SSA data are female. 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.