by Nicole Williams

Created on: January 18, 2008

ETYMOLOGY:
Pronounced "KAY-den". There are several different meanings of the name Caden, depending on the language: in America, it means "fighter" or "little fighter"; it means "pure" in English; "spirit of battle" in Welsh; and was derived from a place-name meaning "marshy land" in German.

ORIGIN & HISTORY:
The surname Caden, and it's variants, such as Cadden, Caddin, and McCadeen, were first found in county Armagh in Northern Ireland. Some of the first American settlers with the surname were: James Cadden, who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1817; James Caden, who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1844; and Thomas Cadden, who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1842 and in 1856.

POPULARITY:
Though the name is acceptable to use for a boy or a girl, the girls' name has yet to show up in the top 1,000 names. The boys' name is more widely used, but it didn't show up in the top 1,000 names until 1992 at number 882. The name continues to gain popularity, as it was number 91 in 2006.

FASCINATING FACTS:
Caden Waidyatilleka, born on March 31, 1994 is an Hawaiian-based young stage actor. He also played "Young Hurly" in the U.S. drama "Lost". Caden Waidyatilleka has also done national Campbell's soup commercials as well as local commercials. He also played the role of "Johnny" in the independent film "Growing Up" by Mark Wolff.

Caden Welborn is a 15 year old composer and keyboardist, who plays many different genres of music. Welborn has three albums: "Force of Nature", "Love" and "Christmas Rain". Just before Christmas in 2006, Caden was diagnosed with Crones disease. His family and fans are promoting his albums to pay for his medical bills.

NAMESAKES:
- Caden has one geographic namesake: Trinindad Garcia De la Cadena, Mexico.
- Caden Lane is an online baby shower gift and accessory company.
- Caden Boisciences in Madison, Wisconsin is a life sciences tools and services company

FAMOUS PERSONS:
Famous people with the name Caden include Caden Edwards, a singer; Caden Welborn, a composer and musician; and Caden Waidyatilleka, an actor. Also, Doug Davidson, an actor on the daytime soap opera "The Young and the Restless" has a son named Caden.

NAME VARIANTS:
Caden has two name variants: Cayden and Caiden.

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