The baby name Aspen stepped out of the wild and on to the name charts in the 1990s. It’s become a wintry, modern favorite.
Thanks to Elle for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.
WHAT DOES ASPEN MEAN?
Aspen started out as a tree name. It refers to several species, found throughout the northern hemisphere.
The leaves tend to shake or tremble in the wind, thanks to their shape. Some varieties are called a quaking tree or quaking aspen. It’s also sometimes called a white poplar tree.
Here’s a fun fact: the root systems live much longer than the trunks. In Utah’s Fishlake National Forest, Pando grove appears to consist of tens of thousands of separate trees, but they all come from the same root system. Estimates vary, but it could be around 80,000 years old, putting Pando on the list of oldest living organisms. As for the name, in Latin Pando means “I spread out.”
As for the word itself? Aspen comes from the Old English aespe, and similar terms have referred to the tree across Europe for centuries.
ASPEN, COLORADO
The trees gave their name to a community in Colorado.
Initially founded as a mining camp, Aspen sits in the Rocky Mountains, along the Roaring Fork River. A silver boom brought people to the area, and when it ended, the settlement nearly disappeared.
But then came skiing.
Chicago businessman Walter Paepcke established the Aspen Skiing Company in 1946, and developed the area for tourism. John Denver immortalized it in song. Celebrities vacationed there. Hunter S. Thompson once ran for sheriff.
Over the years, it became a mecca for the wealthy and now real estate is wildly expensive.
As we embraced place names for our children in recent years, Aspen fits in with names from Savannah to Cairo to London.
JOHN DENVER and ASPEN
Thanks to the popularity of the city and ski resort, we know that by the 1970s and 80s everyone knew the town’s name. But what pushed parents to consider it for their children?
Maybe it was just in the air. Dodge gave the name to a car model. Dan Fogelberg recorded a song by the name in 1975.
But those events come too late. Eight girls were named Aspen in 1973, the first year it registered in the Social Security data.
Maybe credit goes to John Denver’s 1971 song “Starwood in Aspen.” It was released on his fifth album, Aerie.
It’s not nearly as well known as Denver’s other hits, and it came early in his career. But it appears on his first Greatest Hits album, along with “Rocky Mountain High,” “Take Me Home Country Roads,” and so many other songs we’ve all heard countless times.
Starwood, as it happens, was the name of Denver’s home.
The timing works. Denver is often credited with popularizing the mountain town, helping transform it to a world famous destination. It’s not a stretch to imagine a few parents considering the name for a daughter along the way.
He also recorded “Aspenglow” in 1975.
From this point forward, the name was less about the aspen tree and more about the place. It also shifts the meaning slightly. It’s not just the natural beauty of the great outdoors, but a sense of Aspen as a counter-cultural retreat.
ASPEN in FILM
Aspen became a popular name in the 1990s. Again, it’s about the Colorado resort – or, more specifically, about the movies that cemented the town in our popular imagination.
1991’s Aspen was a documentary made by legendary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman, featuring John Denver. It’s obscure today, but must have helped shape public perception of the place – and the name.
Then came 1993’s Aspen Extreme. While not a cinematic masterpiece, the skiing adventure put the name Aspen in front of future parents.
The numbers suggest that the movies mattered.
HOW POPULAR IS THE NAME ASPEN?
The name was given to more than 100 girls for the first time in 1991.
By 1993, the name entered the girls’ US Top 1000.
It fit with trending names in the 1990s. Nature names Autumn and Amber ranked in the US Top 100, and Ashley was a Top Ten choice. Ends-with-N names like Allison, Megan, Lauren, Kaitlyn/Katelyn, and Jordan dominated the charts.
The rising popularity of the name Aspen feels almost inevitable.
UNISEX NAME OPTION
The name Aspen debuted in the boys’ data in 1990, with eight births.
It fit with popular choices for our sons, like Austin, in the same era.
As of 2023, the name was given to 210 boys. That’s not quite enough to put the name in the current US Top 1000, but if the trend holds, it might join other gender-netural choices like River and Eden.
ASPEN in POPULAR CULTURE
Debuting in 1998, the comic book Fathom is about Aspen Matthews. She’s a mysterious character who learns she’s a member of the Blue, a mermaid-like race that can control water.
In 1996, Julie Aigner-Clark founded the future Baby Einstein company, producing educational videos for young children. Aspen is the daughter of Bill Clark and Julie Aigner-Clark. Along with sister Sierra, she appears in the videos in the mid-1990s.
Young Adult book series The Selection gives the name to a male character. The first book in the series by Kiera Cass was published in 2012, and the final installment in 2016.
The name has remained in the spotlight. Aspen King Edmonds is the daughter of former Real Housewives of Orange County cast member Meghan King.
SPIRITED NATURE NAME
The baby name Aspen climbed steadily, entering the Top 500 in 2013. By 2020, it ranked #224. And as of 2023, Aspen stands at #214. It’s fallen a bit since a peak of #195 in 2023, but it still fits with recent trends.
As Brooklyn fades and Willow remains near the top of the popularity charts, Aspen could rise farther. It’s a nickname-proof choice that feels familar, but not too common. (Though it’s worth noting that some suggest Penny as a logical – and adorable – short form.)
Beyond the outdoorsy vibe, Aspen suggests the resilience of an aspen grove – an appealing image.
It’s a wintry name for a daughter that suggests an appealing blend of creativity and strength, a spirited nature name with broad appeal.
What do you think of the baby name Aspen?
First published on January 3, 2018, this post was revised and updated on October 24, 2024.
No way. How’s your ass been?
I like the crispness of it, but I could never use it. I’d be calling my kid Ass all the time, and even if the trained myself not to, Asp isn’t much better.
Normally, I’d steer clear of names that could be shortened to “ass” on the playground; however, I find Aspen appealing. In part because of its wintry vibes and in part because it serves as an alternative (to the increasingly popular Penelope) for parents who want to arrive at the nickname “Penny.”
I dont like it. It also sounds more like a boys name to me
I don’t like it for a girl at all. Definitely a masculine name to me.
Just makes me think of ‘aspirin’ – dislike this name.