Eden started out as a place name, paradise lost. Now it’s found on nearly every playground.
Thanks to Sarah for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.
Eden: Home
Adam and Eve’s hometown has disputed origins. Most connect it to the Hebrew edhen – delight.
We understand Eden as center stage for the Book of Genesis, and a lush, green, fruitful land. It features in art and literature, from Michelangelo to Milton.
Of course, it’s also the place man was banished from in disgrace. But that doesn’t diminish the ideal the name conveys.
Well over a dozen places in the US alone are named for the garden. Factor in street names and such, and it’s heard everywhere.
Eden: Edith’s Granddaughter
I’ve heard it called a Puritan name, and that certainly tracks with what we know of their preferences. But if that’s the case, I’ve yet to find a reference to an original source listing a 1600s-era Eden.
Instead, into the early twentieth century, this name was heard only sparingly, and mostly for boys.
Maybe that’s because it’s a sometimes surname. Think of Sir Anthony Eden, British prime minister in the 1950s.
Barbara Eden, the star of I Dream of Jeannie might deserve credit for the name’s wider adoption for girls. It rose in use during her time in the television bottle. (Though it was a stage name for the actress.)
But maybe it felt like a name, because it’s so close to so many traditional picks.
- Names like Edward and Edith come from the Old English ead – wealth. In fact, there’s a ninth century Bishop Eadhun of Winchester.
- In the UK, there’s a castle in Durham and a river in Cumbria by the name. They likely come from idun or itouna – words associated with gushing water. But other theories persist, too.
Edie has a much longer history of use, usually connected to Edith. It also makes the case that Eden works for a girl.
Eden: 1941
A June 1941 novel, Patrick White’s The Living and the Dead, gave the name to a daughter.
Never heard of White? I hadn’t either. But the Australian author won a Nobel Prize for Literature in 1973. Even though this was one of his early works, it was probably fairly well read.
In 1943, five girls were given the name, marking Eden’s debut in the US Social Security data.
Eden: Small Screen
I Dream of Jeannie may have given the name a tiny bump. But it caught on in force thanks to another television series, daytime soap opera Santa Barbara.
Wealthy, privileged Eden Campbell joined the cast in 1984. She fell in love with Cruz Castillo, a police officer from the wrong side of the tracks. The star-crossed lovers became a wildly popular soap opera super-couple.
By 1986, the name had entered the US Top 1000 for girls.
Eden: Modern Favorite
Even after the show ended, the name continued to climb.
By 2010, it ranked in the US Top 200. As of 2016, it stands at #148. It fits with so many trends:
- It’s meaning-rich, a virtue name less novel than Serenity, but not as traditional as Grace.
- We do love our tailored names for girls, from Harper to Evelyn.
- It feels like a word name, in the same category as Autumn, or maybe Brooklyn.
Factor in a continuing list of fictional characters and real-world examples of the name, and no surprise parents continue to embrace Eden for their daughters.
Eden: For the Boys
Of course, the Old Testament gives this name to the boys. And there have always been some – for longer than we’ve been hearing it given to girls.
In fact, the name has almost doubled in use over the last five years for boys.
While it remains far more common as a girl’s name, there’s no reason this couldn’t serve as an alternative to recent favorites like Ethan and Evan.
Eden: Sweet Spot Name
All of this makes Eden an intriguing mix of meaningful place name and pop culture darling. It’s a name both modern but substantial, tailored but still feminine. It hints at meanings both spiritual and from the natural world, without feeling too tied to either.
The only question is how high will this name go?
Would you consider this name for a daughter – or a son?
First published on October 16, 2012, this post was revised and updated before being republished on March 21, 2018.
I consider Eden to be a gender-neutral name. That’s why my husband and I chose it for a baby we lost before we ever learned the sex. However, while I can see where others might think the name tilts feminine, in my head my own Eden felt like a boy.
The first time I heard Eden as a first name was on the TV show Heroes. She was a character in season 1.
I like it for a girl. I think it would be hard for a boy to wear. It’s not a name I would use, mainly because our sibset has gone in a different direction, but I might have considered it when I was younger and childless if I had come across it then.
I think Eden is a boy’s name. Like Hayden and Brook. They are short, curt, masculine sounds and go with the other names Ethan, Braden, Nathan, Kayden, Jordan. Morgan, etc. and sound a bit “hard” for girls. Except for Lauren and Megan, real feminine names traditionally would have added the -ne suffix, Glorienne, Jeanne, or a diminuitive sounding -ette. Female names often end in “ie” or “a” and that makes them sound prettier. I know the Garden of Eden is often alluded to for a girl, but that place has also always sounded masculine to me. The name Brook is definitely masculine, like River and Ford. Even the nickname Brookie sounds masculine. Lake should also be a male name and does not suit girls.
All the Rivers and Brookes I know are female. (And Eden, too, for that matter). I would never consider those names for a boy! I don’t think all girl names have to be soft/”pretty”. (Some people actually prefer to avoid that style.). And I actually think River is pretty/soft/”girly” to begin with. Of course, I’m the Mom of a Winifred and Aunt to a Wren, both of which also fail your very narrow “girly-ness test”, so obviously our ideas of what makes a name feminine differ.
I’m sorry I didn’t see and reply to TJ’s comment earlier. TJ, I understand your perspective, and many languages *do* follow rules like this, where feminine and masculine have distinct sounds. But that’s not the case in English, and certainly not our experience in the US, thanks to so many heritages influencing our ideas about names. There are absolutely NO rules related to sound, spelling, or pronunciation that make names feminine or masculine in English. The only thing that determines a name’s gender is use. So if Eden is used more often for girls – which it is – then it’s perfectly appropriate as a girls’ name. It’s not a satisfying answer in some ways, because of course, Eden can be used for boys, too. But there just aren’t black and white lines when it comes to these questions.
My daughter’s name is Eden Hope. I’ve loved the name for over 10 years. She is 7 months now. I think it goes well with her brother’s name Kanaan (Canaan) both Bible place names that aren’t crazy or super common. I also love Zion and Judah if we ever have more boys and Galilee and Moriah for girls.
Even though Eden is genuinely unisex, I think male when I hear it as a given name. Not for my usual reasons though [ 😉 ] — this one makes me think of Edan and Etan and Ethan.
On a girl, I think of Barbara Eden.
I have a young cousin named Eden. It suits her well, but not something I would ever consider myself. I can’t even imagine it as a male name.
I also know a little girl named Nevaeh. Again, something I would never use.
My two-year-old is named Eden. Eden Fiona to be exact. It suits her very well. Great post!
I really love this name, but as a personally non-religious person I’m pretty certain I wouldn’t use it. I do agree she’ll rise a bit higher, though I’m not sure when/if she’ll crack the Top 100.
There’s also a soap actress named Eden Riegel – she played Susan Lucci’s daughter Bianca on All My Children.
I considered the name Eden for my cat. It was my mom’s suggestion!
I see why Eden has gained in popularity, but I so much prefer Edith or, if wanting a tie to the creation story, Eve. I suppose Eden’s sound is just too modern for my liking. A bit too blunt and forceful.
Marcia Cross has a daughter named Eden (with twin Savannah)- I love the name! I’ve never thought of using it for a boy.
I went to college with a girl Eden. My first thought for the popularity of the name is Barbara Eden.
Edan is an anagram for Edna, and I thought about using Eden as a tribute to my grandmother.
When I was younger I knew a little girl named Eden, sister to Bethany. These names may have started my obsession. Eden is a beautiful name but I do see it almost exclusively on a girl.
While I’ve known *of* girls named Eden the only Eden I actually know is an adult male, which makes the name unisex in my mind. It’s not my personal style, but I can understand why it’s gaining in populrity. Plus, Edie is a cute nickname.
Yeah its definitely unisex imo. I prefer it on a girl though