Nayden
Of Slavic origin, meaning "one who is hoped for".
Name Census estimates that about 192 living Americans carry the first name Nayden. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Nayden today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nayden births was 2014 (16 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nayden. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Nayden with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
192
~ 1 in 1,785,179 Americans
Peak year
2014
16 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2024 SSA rank
#11,872
Tracked since 2007
Popularity
Nayden: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Nayden 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 123 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Nayden remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Nayden 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 Nayden during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Naydens live
Origin
Meaning and history of Nayden
The given name Nayden has its origins in the Bulgarian language and culture, dating back several centuries. It is derived from the Slavic root word "naydati," which means "to find" or "to discover." In its earliest usage, the name was likely bestowed upon a child who was considered a welcome discovery or a blessing.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nayden can be found in the 14th-century Bulgarian literary work, the Shishkova Sbornik. This collection of manuscripts includes references to individuals bearing the name, suggesting its widespread use during the Second Bulgarian Empire (1185-1396).
In the realm of religious texts, the name Nayden does not appear to have any direct references or associations. However, its meaning of "finding" or "discovering" aligns with spiritual themes of seeking and enlightenment present in various religious traditions.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Nayden. One such individual was Nayden Gerov (1823-1900), a prominent Bulgarian writer, lexicographer, and educator. His contributions include the compilation of the first comprehensive Bulgarian dictionary, which served as a significant milestone in the development of the Bulgarian literary language.
Another notable bearer of the name was Nayden Petkov (1908-1981), a Bulgarian communist politician and revolutionary. He played a crucial role in the establishment of the People's Republic of Bulgaria and served as the country's prime minister from 1949 to 1962.
In the realm of the arts, Nayden Nikolov (1880-1941) was a celebrated Bulgarian artist and painter. His works, which often depicted scenes from rural Bulgarian life, are considered iconic representations of the country's cultural heritage.
Nayden Kirov (1892-1959) was a Bulgarian military officer and revolutionary who fought for the liberation of his country from Ottoman rule. He later became a prominent figure in the political sphere, serving as the Minister of Interior and the Minister of War in the early 20th century.
Lastly, Nayden Sheytanov (1890-1970) was a Bulgarian writer and playwright who made significant contributions to the development of Bulgarian literature. His plays, which often explored social and political themes, earned him widespread acclaim and recognition as a leading figure in the country's literary circles.
People
Nayden + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nayden as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with N
Other first names starting with N with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Nayden: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nayden?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 192 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nayden 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 1,785,179 US residents.
Is Nayden a common name?
We classify Nayden as "Very Rare". It ranks above 73.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 193 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nayden most popular?
The single biggest year for Nayden was 2014, when 16 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nayden is about 11 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 Nayden in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Nayden a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nayden 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 Nayden still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Nayden 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 Nayden 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 Americans are named Nayden?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans are named Nayden at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.