Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Eden

Eden is, of course, in reference to the Biblical place known as the Garden of Eden. It is the utopian paradise where God placed the first earthly man and woman He created (i.e., Adam and Eve); that is, until their Eden Country Club membership was rescinded for disobedience. But before Eve (with the first bite) and then Adam (with the second) ate a piece of fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, the first two humans dwelled blissfully in the Garden of Eden. If only all of our passports gave us access to this fantastic place of harmony and beauty. Food was bountiful, flowers were always in bloom, and humans and all other animals co-existed peacefully. In the Garden of Eden there was no death or disease, no crime or cruelty, no inequality or oppression, and no labor or hard work. Even nudity and sexual human love was celebrated: “And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.” (Genesis 2:25). Of course, as we all know, Adam and Eve were eventually expelled from Eden for breaking the one and only rule they were asked to obey: don’t eat the Forbidden Fruit. Not only that, but outside of Eden (as punishment) women would henceforth experience childbirth labor pains and men would have to labor the land to produce food. Eden is translated in Hebrew as the “garden of God” or “place of pleasure, delight.” It is also believed to be derived from ancient Aramaic meaning “fruitful, well-watered”. All of these potential etymologies are perfectly in line with our notion of Eden as a place name. But where exactly is Eden? According to the Book of Ezekiel, the ancient Garden of Eden was located in modern day Lebanon. It is also believed to be near where the Tigris and Euphrates rivers meet in modern-day Iraq (although no one knows for sure). As a given name, Eden is a modern coinage and used primarily in the United States. It is also considered unisex although it is much, much more popular for baby girls.

All About the Baby Name – Eden

Personality

OF THE UNISEX NAME EDEN

The number one personality is a leader - strong and competitive. They are willing to initiate action and take risks. One personalities work hard toward their endeavors and have the ability to apply their creative and innovative thinking skills with strong determination. They believe in their ability to succeed and are too stubborn to be hindered by obstacles. Ones meet obstacles head-on with such mental vigor and energy that you better step aside. They resent taking orders, so don't try telling them what to do either. This is an intensely active personality, but they are also known as starters rather than finishers. They have a propensity to become bored and will move quickly to the next project if not properly challenged.  They are the ones to think up and put into action new and brilliant ideas, but they are not the ones to stick around and manage them. This personality has an enthusiastic and pioneering spirit. They are distinctly original.

Popularity

OF THE UNISEX NAME EDEN

Even through the Garden of Eden dates back to the beginning of time (either religiously or symbolically), the forename Eden only dates back to 1986 in America. The usage of this name is really quite modern in the United States. Although it could technically be considered a “unisex” name, we are calling it strictly female. The name has only been on the charts for males for three years and, quite frankly, appears to be floundering. In fact, American parents are about eight times more likely to bestow the name Eden on a girl rather than a boy. Nonetheless, we don’t think Eden has either a distinct feminine or masculine sound, so if you like it for your little boy, we say go for it. The name is currently a Top 200 favorite for girls and it appears to be gaining momentum. We’ll have to wait and see if it makes the Top 100 list in the next five to ten years. In the meantime, Eden is a simple and straight-forward name that begs no explanation. There’s nothing negative that could be said about Eden, except maybe that we don’t live there anymore.

Quick Facts

ON EDEN

GENDER:

Unisex

ORIGIN:

African-American, Hebrew

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

N/A

PRONUNCIATION:

EE-din

SIMPLE MEANING:

Place of pleasure

Characteristics

OF EDEN

Independent

Individualistic

Ambitious

Strong-willed

Inventive

Successful

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Eden

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME EDEN

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Eden

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME EDEN

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Eden


Popular Songs

ON EDEN

Journey from Eden
a song by the Steve Miller Band

Gates of Eden
a song by Bob Dylan

Garden of Eden
a song by Guns N' Roses [explicit]

Fires of Eden
a song by Cher

Eden Is Burning
a song by John Mellencamp

Eden
a song by Rick Springfield

East of Eden
a song by Mason Jennings

Blue Eden
a song by Neil Young

Blood of Eden
a song by Peter Gabriel

Famous People

NAMED EDEN

Eden Atwood (jazz artist)
Eden Riegel (daytime actress)
Eden Espinosa (actress)
Eden Atwood (jazz artist)
Eden Riegel (daytime actress)
Eden Espinosa (actress)
Eden Atwood (jazz artist)
Eden Riegel (daytime actress)
Eden Espinosa (actress)

Children of Famous People

NAMED EDEN

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Eden

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME EDEN

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Eden