The Alden surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 5,748 people carried this name — #5,985 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 51,300 people counted. That is up 4% from 5,524 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Alden surname

A surname originating as a patronymic.

From Old English Ealdwine, from eald (“old”) + wine (“friend”); equivalent to Alwin. In some cases a variant of Haldane.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Alden» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a baptismal name, from a given name: ‘the son of Aldwin’.

An early record he cites: Richard Aldewyn, Wiltshire, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

His entry covers Alden, Aldin and Aldine.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 44 · public domain.

In the Nordic population registers

928 people named Alden is counted in Sweden.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 928

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).

In the first U.S. census, 1790

81 families named Alden, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 486 people lived in those households, 6 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 2 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Massachusetts 53
Connecticut 8
New Hampshire 6
Maine 5
Vermont 3
New York 2
Pennsylvania 2
Maryland 2

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 227 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Alden in American newspapers,
1902–1911.

Newspaper page from Walker Lake Bulletin carrying the name Alden
Walker Lake Bulletin 1904-01-22
Newspaper page from The Guthrie Daily Leader carrying the name Alden
The Guthrie Daily Leader 1911-06-06
Newspaper page from The Paducah Sun carrying the name Alden
The Paducah Sun 1902-11-20

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 6,178 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Alden in Australian newspapers,
1830s–1990s.

4,092 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Alden. The most, 695, date from the 1910s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Queensland, at 1.7 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Queensland 1,339
New South Wales 913
Victoria 770
South Australia 484
Western Australia 400
Tasmania 113
ACT (Canberra) 23
Northern Territory 1

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Alden.

Who carried it

People named Alden,
with a public archive behind them.

  • John Alden
    John Alden 1599–1687 · cooper
  • Priscilla Alden
    Priscilla Alden 1602–1685
  • John Alden
    John Alden 1620–1702 · sailor
  • Timothy Alden
    Timothy Alden 1771–1839 · pastor
  • Prince Alden 1718–1804
  • Ichabod Alden 1739–1778

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Alden,
in the records of 6 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States649 records

649 records of the Alden name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 198
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 144
  • Other U.S. records 307
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Ernest H. Alden

    Born 1920 in Massachusetts. Enlisted 1941 at Orange, New Jersey; laboratory technician. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1945, buried at Beverly National Cemetery, New Jersey.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Miklos Alden

    Arrived at New York in 1907 aboard the Blucher from Southampton, aged 27; farm laborer. From Anna, Hungary.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. A U.S. Army record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864
    Example: U.S. burial record, 1864
    Burial record Albert Warner Alden

    U.S. Army veteran of the Civil War. Born 1838, died 1884; buried at Oak Hill Cemetery, Janesville, Wisconsin.

    U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)

Showing 3 of 649 records for Alden in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864, U.S. National Archives (public domain).

Australia87 records

87 records of the Alden name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 48
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 19
  • Other Australian records 20
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record John Alden

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Guildford, arriving 1824.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Willm Alden

    Arrived in Victoria in 1857 aboard the Grand Trianon, aged 30; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Albert J. Alden

    Former orchardist of Tyabb, Victoria; died 1951.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 87 records for Alden in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Netherlands30 records

30 records of the Alden name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 24
  • Dutch population registers 5
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 1
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Harm Alden

    Married in 1948 in Delfzijl; casual labourer.

    Open Archives, Groninger Archieven (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Elisabeth Alden

    Married in 1783 in Rotterdam; born in Rotterdam.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Leendert Adrianus Alden

    In the population register of Amsterdam; born 1816 in Bergen op Zoom.

    Open Archives, West Brabants Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 30 records for Alden in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Canada13 records

13 records of the Alden name in Canada
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 5
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 3
  • Other Canadian records 5
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Barrie Ford Alden

    Died 1950; buried at Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, British Columbia.

    City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Carl Frederick Alden

    Died 1962 in Sydney Mines, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Edgar Alden

    Died in service in 1917.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 13 records for Alden in Canada.

Counts: City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

United Kingdom7 records

7 records of the Alden name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 6
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record William Alden

    Buried in 1832 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 21.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record W. H. Alden

    Royal Fusiliers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record F. G. Alden

    Royal Scots. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 7 records for Alden in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Norway6 records

6 records of the Alden name in Norway Norway's 1910 census
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Maria Alden

    Census of 1910: Hauge (gaard), Os; maidservant, born 1873 in Askevold.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Georg Alden

    Census of 1910: Edvardsensgate, Bergen; "løpergut", born 1897 in Bergen.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Bernt Alden

    Census of 1910: Slettene, Askøen; born 1855 in Askevold.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)

Showing 3 of 6 records for Alden in Norway.

Counts: Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Alden.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Alden is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Alden volume
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