| Robin | Hayden | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Bright fame | Hay valley |
| Origin | English | English |
| Gender | Unisex | Unisex |
| Pronunciation | ROB-in | HAY-den |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1904 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1961 (15,653) | 2006 (6,470) |
| In 2025 | 400 | 2,268 |
| Trend | Rising | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Robin | Hayden |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 2,018 | 13,512 |
| 2010s | 2,183 | 29,905 |
| 2000s | 2,581 | 50,049 |
| 1990s | 8,501 | 16,350 |
| 1980s | 22,694 | 1,006 |
| 1970s | 45,943 | 446 |
| 1960s | 118,327 | 325 |
| 1950s | 82,423 | 339 |
| 1940s | 6,169 | 435 |
| 1930s | 717 | 418 |
| 1920s | 303 | 620 |
| 1910s | 91 | 487 |
| 1900s | 11 | 91 |
| 1890s | 0 | 73 |
| 1880s | 0 | 28 |
Robin began as a medieval pet form of Robert (from Germanic “bright fame”) and was later linked to the robin bird. Famous as Robin Hood, it is now used for both sexes — Robyn is the usual female spelling.
Hayden comes from an English surname and place name meaning “hay hill” or “hay valley.” It is used for both boys and girls.
Hayden is more popular than Robin today: about 2,268 US babies were given the name Hayden in 2025, compared with 400 named Robin.
Robin means Bright fame (English origin), while Hayden means Hay valley (English origin).
In US records, Robin first appears in 1904 and Hayden in 1880, so Hayden has the longer recorded history.