Home › Baby Names Directory › Dryden
Dryden
How to Pronounce Dryden
Pronounced DRY-den /ˈdraɪ.dən/Medium
Meaning: From the English surname Dryden, 'dry valley' (Old English dryge + denu), carried into first-name use; best known through the poet John Dryden. A crisp surname-style name.Low
Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Dryden is an English surname, 'dry valley,' turned given name — its fame tied to the 17th-century poet John Dryden. It reads as a modern surname-style pick — extremely rare in the U.S. (said 'DRY-den').
For boys it appears only extremely rarely in U.S. data. Rare, surname-style, and literary.
Variations
Nicknames
Famous Bearers
- Famous bearers coming soon.
If you like Dryden…
Explore names like Dryden
Frequently Asked
What does the name Dryden mean?
Dryden is an English surname meaning 'dry valley,' now used as a first name; it is also the name of the poet John Dryden.
How do you pronounce Dryden?
It's said DRY-den /ˈdraɪ.dən/ — two syllables, stress on the first.
Is Dryden a boy or girl name?
Dryden is used here as a boy's name.
How popular is Dryden?
Dryden is extremely rare in the U.S.