Harlen as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Harlen

What is the meaning of the name Harlen ?

The baby name Harlen is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈhɑːrlən/ (HAR-lən).

Harlen is English in Origin.

Harlen is an English surname-turned-given name, most often viewed as a streamlined variant of Harlan or Harland. It derives from Old English elements hara “hare” and land “land, estate,” indicating a tract of land where hares were common. As with many habitational surnames, multiple places may have fed the surname, which later migrated into first-name use. Pronounced HAR-len, it is typically masculine but has occasional unisex use.

In the United States, Harlen began appearing as a given name in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, in step with the broader fashion for surname names; the visibility of the Harlan surname (e.g., Justice John Marshall Harlan) aided familiarity. Variants and related forms include Harlan (standard), Harlin, Harlon, Harland, and the modern unisex Harlyn/Harlynn; feminine Harleen and Harlene also occur. Nicknames Harl or Len are sometimes used. Overall meaning: “hare land.”