Ogden, an uncommon given name of American origin, is derived from an English surname which means 'from the valley of Odin'. It was initially a Scottish habitational name for someone from Ogden in Ayrshire. The name has gained popularity due to its association with prominent figures such as Ogden Nash, a renowned American poet known for his humorous light verse, and Ogden Reid, the publisher of the New York Herald Tribune. Despite its unique sound, Ogden is not particularly associated with any specific cultural or historical significance beyond these notable individuals. It is occasionally used as a given name but remains relatively uncommon.
The name Ogden experienced significant fluctuations in popularity over the past century and a half, with several periods of notable variation in birth numbers. Between 1892 and 1914, the number of births ranged between 5 and 25 annually, peaking at 25 births in 1917. This trend continued until 1923 when it began to decrease steadily, with only a few years (like 1925 and 1927) showing higher birth numbers. From the 1930s onwards, Ogden births remained relatively low, rarely exceeding double digits, with notable exceptions in 2014 and 2018 (16 and 18 births respectively). Overall, since 1892 until 2023, there have been a total of 792 births named Ogden.