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Harlen

Boy name · 3 babies recorded · 1974–2025

Harlen: 3 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to boys, peaking at 3 births in 2016.

Harlen is most often a variant of Harlan, an English surname rooted in Old English *hara* (hare) and *land*, giving the meaning “hare land” or “rocky land.” The name also occasionally arises as a modern respelling of Arlen or an anglicised form of Scottish Gaelic *Àrlainn*, though the English origin is the most common for Scottish speakers. While few famous bearers carry the exact spelling Harlen, the related form Harlan is well known through author Harlan Coben and Supreme Court Justice John Marshall Harlan. The name shares its root with Harlan County, Kentucky, named for a 19th-century US statesman. In Scotland, Harlen remains a rare but increasingly chosen first name, often favoured for its sturdy one-syllable sound and connection to the more traditional Harlan.