2000
#13,434
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,078
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.77
Rare Last name
Arden
From a place name meaning "valley of the eagle" in Old English, or from a Celtic word meaning "high."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,288 Americans carry the last name Arden. That puts it at #14,416 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 149,805 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Arden surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Arden with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 149,805
Census rank
#14,416
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,995 bearers of the surname Arden in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14416th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Arden, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Arden
The surname Arden originated in England, with roots dating back to the Anglo-Saxon era. The name is derived from the Old English words "ardern" or "arenden," which referred to areas of arable or cultivated land. It is believed to have originally been a topographic name, given to families who lived or worked on such fertile lands.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Arden can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears in various spellings such as "Ardern" and "Arderne." These entries are found in counties like Warwickshire, Cheshire, and Shropshire, suggesting that the name was particularly prevalent in the Midlands and the northwest regions of England.
One of the earliest notable bearers of the name was Sir Robert Arden, a prominent landowner in Warwickshire during the late 15th century. His descendants included the famous playwright William Shakespeare, whose mother, Mary Arden, was a member of the well-established Arden family.
Another notable figure was Reverend John Arden (1506-1563), an English Protestant reformer and chaplain to King Henry VIII. He played a crucial role in the English Reformation and was known for his fiery sermons against the Catholic Church.
In the 17th century, Richard Arden (1608-1692) gained recognition as a prominent English Puritan minister and author. He served as the rector of Stratford-upon-Avon and was known for his scholarly works on religious subjects.
The name Arden also has ties to place names in various parts of England. For instance, the Forest of Arden, a former royal forest situated in Warwickshire, is believed to have derived its name from the Old English word "ardern." Similarly, the village of Arden in Cheshire and the town of Ardentown in Buckinghamshire may have originated from the same root.
Over time, the name Arden has undergone various spelling variations, including Arderne, Ardern, Ardren, and Ardron. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and scribal errors in historical records.
Throughout history, the surname Arden has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds, ranging from landowners and clergymen to authors and playwrights. Its enduring presence in England and its connections to places and historical figures make it a notable surname with a rich heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Arden
Among Census respondents with the surname Arden, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Arden bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Arden surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.3% · 1,741
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 99
- Two or more races3.8% · 76
- Black or African American2.1% · 42
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Arden
Arden appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#13,933
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,167
+89 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Down 499 places
2020
#14,416
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,995
-172 bearers (-7.9%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Down 483 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,434 | 2,078 | 0.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,933 | 2,167 | 0.73 | +89 bearers (+4.3%) | Down 499 places |
| 2020 | #14,416 | 1,995 | 0.67 | -172 bearers (-7.9%) | Down 483 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Arden surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #13,933 | #14,416 | -3.5% |
| Count | 2,167 | 1,995 | -7.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.73 | 0.67 | -8.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Arden bearers went from 2,167 to 1,995 (-7.9% change). The surname moved down 483 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,933 to #14,416.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Arden
FAQ
Arden surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Arden?
Name Census estimates that about 2,288 living Americans carry the surname Arden. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 149,805 residents.
How common is Arden?
Arden ranks #14,416 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,995 people with the surname Arden. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,288), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.67 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Arden.
Has Arden become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Arden went from 2,167 recorded bearers to 1,995. That is a decrease of 172 (-7.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,933 to #14,416.
What does the Census say about the background of Arden?
Among Census respondents with the surname Arden, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Arden in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.3% (1,741 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Arden appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.3%), Hispanic (5.0%), Two or More Races (3.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Arden (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Arden mean?
From a place name meaning "valley of the eagle" in Old English, or from a Celtic word meaning "high." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Arden (0.67 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Arden?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.