Eden

At a Glance: Name: Eden – Meaning: traditionally glossed 'delight,' referencing the biblical Garden of Eden; some scholars trace the underlying word to a Sumerian term for 'steppe/plain' instead – Origin: Hebrew (boys' use sometimes from an unrelated English surname) – Gender: Neutral – Pronunciation: EE-den

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Eden (pronounced EE-den) is a Hebrew name traditionally glossed as 'delight,' tied to the biblical Garden of Eden, though some scholars trace the underlying word to a Sumerian term for 'steppe' or 'plain' instead. It's a gender-neutral name with a clean, modern, timeless, classic feel, and when it's used for boys it sometimes comes from an unrelated English surname rather than the Hebrew root. If you've heard that Eden simply means 'paradise' — that traditional gloss holds up reasonably well, though Wiktionary notes the Hebrew word may itself derive from that Sumerian 'plain' term rather than 'delight' directly.

Meaning & Origin of Eden

Meaning: Traditionally glossed 'delight,' referencing the biblical garden of eden; some scholars trace the underlying word to a sumerian term for 'steppe/plain' instead.

Origin: Hebrew (boys' use sometimes from an unrelated English surname).

A common claim: Eden means 'paradise' or 'delight' Actually: This is largely accurate as the traditional gloss, though the Hebrew word may itself derive from a Sumerian term for 'steppe/plain' rather than 'delight' directly.

Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.

How to Pronounce Eden

Phonetic: EE-den   IPA: /ˈiːdən/

Popularity of Eden

Eden reached #72 on the SSA's list in 2024, with 3,115 babies given the name — its highest point in data stretching back to 1917.

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1917–2024.

Make Eden Name Art

Free printable nursery art for Eden, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.

Names With a Similar Story

Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.

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• Azariah
• Dan
• Elian

FAQ

What does the name Eden mean?

Traditionally glossed ‘delight,’ referencing the biblical garden of eden; some scholars trace the underlying word to a sumerian term for ‘steppe/plain’ instead. (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Eden)

How do you pronounce Eden?

Eden is pronounced EE-den (IPA: /ˈiːdən/).

Is Eden a popular name right now?

Eden is at its highest recorded popularity right now, ranked #72 in 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1917–2024.)

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