Haydn

Haydn is best known as the surname of the Austrian composer Joseph Haydn and has been adopted as a given name in his honor. In that family-name history, it is connected with German Heiden, historically meaning heathen. The modern appeal of the given name is usually musical or familial, rather than an attempt to express the old surname’s literal sense.

The composer’s surname is commonly pronounced with a first syllable like high, although families using Haydn as a first name may choose another pronunciation. Hayden is a separate-looking name with English place-name histories, so the two should not automatically be assigned the same origin. Keeping the compact Haydn spelling makes the musical reference particularly clear, especially for a family whose connection comes through classical music.