Oaken
Derived from the Old English word "ac" meaning oak or oak tree.
Name Census estimates that about 162 living Americans carry the first name Oaken. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Oaken today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Oaken births was 2019 (25 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Oaken. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Oaken with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
162
~ 1 in 2,115,768 Americans
Peak year
2019
25 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,174
Tracked since 2013
Popularity
Oaken: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Oaken from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 85 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Oaken by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Oaken during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Oaken
The name Oaken is derived from the Old English word "ac," which means oak tree. This name has its roots in Anglo-Saxon culture and can be traced back to the early medieval period in England. The name was likely given to individuals who lived near oak trees or had some association with these majestic trees.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Oaken can be found in the Domesday Book, a famous manuscript compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book lists several individuals with the name Oaken, indicating that the name was in use during the late 11th century in England.
In the 12th century, a notable figure named Oaken de Burgh was mentioned in historical records. He was a wealthy landowner and nobleman who played a significant role in the political affairs of the time. Another prominent individual with the name Oaken was Sir Oaken Fitzwilliam, a knight who fought in the Crusades during the 13th century.
During the Renaissance period, the name Oaken gained some literary prominence. In the play "As You Like It" by William Shakespeare, one of the characters is named Oaken. This reference helped to popularize the name and preserve its connection to nature and the oak tree.
In the 18th century, Oaken Hawthorne was a notable figure in the American colonies. He was a farmer and landowner who played a role in the early struggles for independence. Later, in the 19th century, Oaken Emerson was a renowned author and philosopher who championed transcendentalism and celebrated the beauty of nature.
Throughout history, the name Oaken has been associated with strength, resilience, and endurance, qualities that are often attributed to the mighty oak tree. While not a common name in modern times, Oaken has maintained a presence in various cultures and continues to evoke a connection to the natural world.
People
Oaken + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Oaken as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with O
Other first names starting with O with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Oaken: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Oaken?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 162 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Oaken going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 2,115,768 US residents.
Is Oaken a common name?
We classify Oaken as "Very Rare". It ranks above 71.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 163 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Oaken most popular?
The single biggest year for Oaken was 2019, when 25 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Oaken is about 7 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Oaken in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Oaken a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Oaken in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Oaken still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Oaken in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Oaken can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Oaken?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.