Auden means old friend or half-Danish — from the Old English/Norse. W.H. Auden IS one of the greatest English-language poets — 'Funeral Blues' IS the most quoted funeral poem. Two syllables of one of the greatest poets, the most quoted funeral poem, and Old English old-friend heritage.
old friendhalf-DanishOld EnglishNorseW.H. Audengreatest poetFuneral Bluesquotedwarm
◎
Origin & history of Auden
Old English eald (old) + wine (friend)→Auden
1
ModernAmerican / InventedVariant roots
Auden means old friend. W.H. Auden IS one of the greatest poets — Funeral Blues IS the most quoted.
2
First recorded
Earliest known use: Old English; W.H. Auden (1907–1973).
3
Today
Auden remains a beloved choice, ranking #1665 in the US. 2,730 babies have been named Auden since 1975.
◈ Sources: Behind the Name, SSA data
◆
How popular is Auden?
2020peak year
Today, Auden is rarely chosen — ranked well outside the top 1,000 (around #1665), with only about 162 babies given the name per year. But it wasn't always this way. At its peak in 2020, 128 babies were given the name (ranked #1373 nationally). Its strongest stretch was the 2010s. Auden's usage has held roughly steady recently. In all, around 2,730 babies have been registered as Auden since 1880.
Year-by-year registrations1880–2024 · U.S. Social Security data
Auden's Life Path 7 is the seeker's number — poetic seeking. People named Auden tend to be warm, distinguished, and gifted at being one of the greatest poets.
Every name has a homeland. Discover strong boy names rooted in cultures from around the world — each with full meanings, origin stories and pronunciation.