Jaden is the original spelling of the name Will and Jada Pinkett Smith gave their son in 1998 — before Jayden (with a Y) overtook it. Jaden Smith starred alongside his father in The Pursuit of Happyness and became a fashion provocateur. The name may connect to the Hebrew Jadon (thankful) or be a pure Smith creation. This is the spelling that started it all.
Jaden is the original spelling chosen by Will and Jada Pinkett Smith for their son in 1998. Jaden Smith co-starred with his father in The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) and became a fashion and cultural provocateur. The Jayden spelling (with Y) overtook Jaden in popularity, but this is the original. Both spellings may connect to the Hebrew Jadon meaning thankful.
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First recorded
Earliest known use: Will and Jada Pinkett Smith named their son Jaden in 1998.
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Today
Jaden remains a beloved choice, ranking #282 in the US. 94,263 babies have been named Jaden since 1974.
◈ Sources: Behind the Name, SSA data
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How popular is Jaden?
2007peak year
Jaden reached its widest reach during the early 2000s. In 2007, 6,262 babies were named Jaden (ranked #74 nationally). In the present decade it sits around #282, with about 1,385 babies given the name annually. Jaden has been declining in recent years. The all-time total comes to roughly 94,263 registrations.
Year-by-year registrations1880–2024 · U.S. Social Security data
6,262 Babies named in peak year (ranked #74)
1,385Avg. per year (last decade)
13,850Total registrations last 10 years
94,263All-time total (since 1880)
Popularity in the US today (rank #282)Very popular
Jaden's Life Path 3 is the communicator's number — the original communicator. People named Jaden tend to be creative, original, and proud of being the first.
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