How to say it
CA · den
/ˈkeɪ.dən/
Masculine
Caden
Battle, spirit of war
What it means
Modern American name with two competing readings: anglicized Irish Mac Cadáin ('son of Cadán,' battle) or a modern coinage in the -aden cluster (Aiden, Jayden, Brayden). The first-name use is essentially post-1995.
Caden has two competing origin stories. The traditional reading derives it from the anglicized Irish surname Mac Cadáin or Mac Adáin, 'son of Cadán' (a personal name from cath, 'battle'). The modern reading treats it as a coinage in the early-2000s -aden cluster (Aiden, Jayden, Brayden, Hayden). As a US first name Caden surfaced in the 1990s and surged in the early 2000s, peaking in the top 100 around 2008. Synecdoche, New York (the 2008 Charlie Kaufman film) features Caden Cotard played by Philip Seymour Hoffman. Spelling variants Kaden, Kaiden, Cayden, and Kayden all exist in the US top 1000. The first-name use is essentially post-1995. Common short: Cade.
Popularity over time
peaked at #91 in 2006, currently #201 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Spelling
Caden, Kaden, Cayden, Kayden, Kaiden, Cadyn, Caiden, and Kadyn are all the same name; spelling diversity is itself a feature of the modern -aden cluster.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Caden Cotard Philip Seymour Hoffman's character in Synecdoche, New York (2008)
Spelling variants
- Kaden
- Kaiden
- Cayden
- Kayden
Names with the same feeling
See Caden from another angle
By meaning
By style