Paden

Paden is a masculine given name of English origin. It ultimately derives from an English surname, which is likely a derivative of the given name Pate, a medieval short form of Patrick. The name Patrick itself comes from the Latin Patricius, meaning "nobleman."

Before the late 20th century, Paden was an extremely obscure name in the United States. Its modest rise in popularity can be traced directly to the 1985 western film Silverado, where the character Paden — played by Kevin Kline — was a charming drifter and gunslinger. The name's subsequent adoption likely benefited from its phonetic resemblance to other popular names ending in the fashionable -den sound, such as Braden, Hayden, and Aidan.

As a surname, Paden is most common in the United States, where it ranks as the 7,842nd most common surname. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, there were 4,223 individuals with the surname Paden, primarily identifying as White (70.42%) and Black or African American (19.18%). Notably, in Low German, Paden is also the plural form of Padd, meaning "path" or "track."

As a given name, Paden remains relatively rare, offering a distinctive choice that combines Western film heritage with a modern-sounding ending.

• Meaning: From a surname, itself a derivative of Pate, a short form of Patrick ("nobleman")
• Origin: English
• Usage Regions: Primarily the United States
• Popularity: Modest usage since 1985, boosted by the film Silverado