Holden
Top 1000
About Holden
Holden is a classic case of a name that jumped out of a book and onto birth certificates--though it took quite a while. Parents who loved J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye are flocking to the name of its hero, Holden Caulfield -- not coincidentally in tune with the Hudson-Hayden-Colton field of names.
(Trivia note: Salinger supposedly came up with the name while looking at a movie poster promoting a film starring William Holden and Joan Caulfield, though other sources say he was named after Salinger's friend Holden Bowler.)
But can Holden's entry into the Top 1000 really be owed to the classic novel? Possibly not, given how frequently it has been challenged, censored, and banned in the classroom. While this may not stop parents today, it was given to no more than 12 American boys a year, right up until the mid-1980s.
Holden's actual introduction into the mainstream likely has more to do with the introduction of the character Holden Snyder to the soap, As the World Turns. Played by Jon Hensley, the character first appeared in 1985 and by 1987, it was in the Top 1000 and on the rise.
Among the celebs who have chosen Holden are Brendan Fraser and Mira Sorvino.
In Australia, only a car-lover would choose this name, which is inextricably linked with the car-brand.
Pronounced HOL-den.
As of October 2026, Holden ranked #297 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #217 in 2018, Nameberry popularity #318.
Editor's take: The name Holden is a boy's name of English origin meaning "hollow valley".
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank | Births | Per million |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #291 | 1,218 | 634.1 |
| 2015 | #291 | 1,254 | 654.2 |
| 2016 | #270 | 1,356 | 714.5 |
| 2017 | #242 | 1,531 | 827.1 |
| 2018 | #217 | 1,731 | 953.1 |
| 2019 | #250 | 1,466 | 817.1 |
| 2020 | #227 | 1,648 | 954.8 |
| 2021 | #236 | 1,506 | 860.8 |
| 2022 | #283 | 1,219 | 698.2 |
| 2023 | #286 | 1,176 | 687.5 |
| 2024 | #281 | 1,205 | 699.4 |
| 2025 | #297 | 1,140 | 667.4 |
World rankings
Similar names
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Holden on lists
Famous Holdens
- Holden Bowler
American athlete, singer and businessman
- Holden Furber
American historian
- Holden Chester Richardson
U.S. Navy aviator
- Holden Álvaro Roberto
Angolan activist and politician
- (Herbert) Holden Thorp
American chemist
- Holden John Seguso (b. 1988)
son of tennis players Robert and Carling Bassett Seguso
- Holden Richard Schroder (b. 1992)
son of actor Rick Schroder
- Holden John Dorough (b. 2003)
son of singer Howie Dorough of the Backstreet Boys
- Holden Fletcher Fraser (b. 2004)
son of actor Brendan Fraser
- Holden Paul Terry Backus (b. 2009)
son of actors Mira Sorvino and Christopher Backus
- Holden Everett Ladwig (b. 2009)
son of pair skater Mark Ladwig
- Holden Robert Jahangiri (b. 2013)
son of actress Kate Levering and businessman Reza Jahangiri
- Jack Holden Marsden (b. 2001)
son of actor James Marsden
- Finnigan Holden McCormack (b. 2002)
son of actor Eric McCormack and Janet Holden
Holden in pop culture
- Holden Caulfield
main character in J.D. Salinger's "Catcher in the Rye"
- Holden
character in James Patterson's Maximum Ride
- Holden McNeil
character in "Chasing Amy"
- Holden Snyder
character on American soap opera "As the World Turns"
- Holden Strauss
character in the TV series "Pretty Little Liars"
- Holden Spence
from the movie "Everyone Says I Love You"
- Holden Maxwell
main male character in Kristen Ashley's The Gamble
- Holden Messenger
character in Kiera Cass's "The Heir"
- Holden Dippledorf
character in DisneyChannel's "Liv and Maddie"
- Holden Matthews
character on Freeform's "Beyond"
- Holden Carver
main character in the DC/Wildstorm Sleeper comics
- Holden
Australian automaker
- Thomas "Holden" Worther
character in the movie "The Good Girl"
- Holden Radcliffe
character in the Marvel TV series "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."
- Holden
character in American Horror Story season 5
- Holden Ford
character in the Netflix series "Mindhunter"
- Holden Reid Barclay
main male character in Scarlett Avery’s book “Bad Boy SEALs”.