| Hayden | River | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Hay valley | River |
| Origin | English | english |
| Gender | Unisex | Unisex |
| Pronunciation | HAY-den | RIV-er |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1971 |
| Peak year | 2006 (6,470) | 2021 (3,504) |
| In 2025 | 2,268 | 3,139 |
| Trend | Declining | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Hayden | River |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 13,512 | 19,236 |
| 2010s | 29,905 | 13,860 |
| 2000s | 50,049 | 4,449 |
| 1990s | 16,350 | 2,023 |
| 1980s | 1,006 | 82 |
| 1970s | 446 | 26 |
| 1960s | 325 | 0 |
| 1950s | 339 | 0 |
| 1940s | 435 | 0 |
| 1930s | 418 | 0 |
| 1920s | 620 | 0 |
| 1910s | 487 | 0 |
| 1900s | 91 | 0 |
| 1890s | 73 | 0 |
| 1880s | 28 | 0 |
Hayden comes from an English surname and place name meaning “hay hill” or “hay valley.” It is used for both boys and girls.
An English nature name taken directly from the word 'river' (ultimately from Latin riparia, riparius 'of the riverbank').
River is more popular than Hayden today: about 3,139 US babies were given the name River in 2025, compared with 2,268 named Hayden.
Hayden means Hay valley (English origin), while River means River (english origin).
In US records, Hayden first appears in 1880 and River in 1971, so Hayden has the longer recorded history.