Macaden
An Irish masculine name potentially derived from the Gaelic "mac adhaimh" meaning "son of Adam".
Name Census estimates that about 12 living Americans carry the first name Macaden. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Macaden today is around 21 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Macaden births was 2005 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Macaden. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Macaden. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
12
~ 1 in 28,562,862 Americans
Peak year
2005
7 babies that year
Average age
21
years old
2005 SSA rank
#9,748
Tracked since 2004
Popularity
Macaden: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Macaden 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 Macaden during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 12 | 0 | 12 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Macaden
The name Macaden is believed to have originated from the ancient Gaelic language, which was spoken in parts of Ireland and Scotland during the medieval period. The name is derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning son, and "aden" which is thought to be a variant of the name "Aidan" or "Aedan."
Macaden is closely related to the Irish name MacAidan, which also means "son of Aidan." The name Aidan itself is said to have roots in the ancient Celtic word "aed," meaning fire or fiery one. This suggests that Macaden may have been initially used as a descriptive name for someone with a fiery personality or perhaps reddish hair.
In ancient Celtic mythology, fire was often associated with the sun and considered a powerful symbol of life, energy, and purification. It is possible that the name Macaden was initially given to children in the hopes that they would possess the qualities represented by fire, such as strength, passion, and resilience.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Macaden can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history dating back to the 15th century. The annals mention a "Macaden Ua Conchobair" who was a member of the O'Connor clan in the year 1458.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Macaden. In the 16th century, there was a Scottish poet and historian named Macaden Mhoir (1520-1585), who wrote extensively about the clans and customs of the Scottish Highlands. Another prominent figure was Macaden Ruadh (1670-1738), an Irish chieftain who fought against the English during the Williamite War in Ireland.
In more recent times, Macaden Gilchrist (1876-1952) was a Canadian artist and illustrator known for his paintings of the Canadian wilderness. Macaden O'Reilly (1905-1978) was an Irish playwright and novelist who wrote several works that explored themes of Irish identity and culture.
Perhaps one of the most famous individuals with the name Macaden was Macaden MacGregor (1912-1986), a Scottish actor who appeared in numerous films and television shows throughout his career. He is best remembered for his roles in classics such as "The Quiet Man" and "Braveheart."
People
Macaden + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Macaden as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Macaden: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Macaden?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 12 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Macaden 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 28,562,862 US residents.
Is Macaden a common name?
We classify Macaden as "Very Rare". It ranks above 32.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 12 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Macaden most popular?
The single biggest year for Macaden was 2005, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Macaden is about 21 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Macaden in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Macaden a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Macaden 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.
Is Macaden still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Macaden in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Macaden can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Macaden?
See how many Americans are named Macaden on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.