Alden as both a given name and a surname originated in the Old English language. The name can derive from Ealdwine (meaning "old friend") or (in the Scottish Borders) from Healfdene.

• Alvin Alden (1818–1882), American politician
• Blanche Ray Alden (1870–1934), American musician and composer
• Charles E. Alden, American inventor
• Charles Henry Alden (1836–1906), American military officer
• Chris Alden, American entrepreneur
• Christopher Alden (director) (born 1944), American theatre director
• Cynthia May Alden (1862–1931), American journalist, author, and municipal employee
• David Alden (born 1949), American theatre and film director
• Edward Alden (born 1961), American-Canadian journalist and policy analyst
• Emily Gilmore Alden (1834–1914), American author and educator
• George I. Alden (1843–1926), American mechanical engineer and educator
• Ginger Alden, American actress and model
• Harold Alden (1890–1964), American astronomer
• Henry Mills Alden (1836–1919), American author and publication editor
• Howard Alden (born 1958), American jazz guitarist
• Ichabod Alden (1739–1778), American military officer
• Isabella Macdonald Alden (1841–1930), American author
• James Alden Jr. (1810–1877), American military officer
• Jerome Alden (1921–1997), American playwright, father of Christopher Alden and David Alden
• John Alden (c. 1598–1687), one of the Pilgrims on the Mayflower
• John Alden (sailor) (c. 1626–1702), American military officer, son of John Alden and Priscilla Alden
• John Richard Alden (1908–1991), American historian
• Joseph Alden (1807–1885), American scholar, educator, and author
• Kay Alden (born 1946), American television writer
• Lucy Morris Chaffee Alden (1836–1912), American author, educator, and hymn writer
• Mary Alden (1883–1946), American actress
• Norman Alden (1924–2012), American actor
• Priscilla Alden (c. 1602–1685), one of the Pilgrims on the Mayflower, wife of John Alden and mother of John Alden Jr.
• Raymond Macdonald Alden (1873–1924), American scholar and educator
• Raymond W. Alden III, American educator and academic administrator
• Roy Alden (1863–1937), American newspaper editor and politician
• Timothy Alden (1771–1839)), American clergyman and academic administrator
• Timothy Alden (politician) (born 1991), Maltese politician
• Scott Alden (1907–1977), American law enforcement official, lawyer, college professor, and college athletics head coach
• Vernon Roger Alden, American academic administrator
• William L. Alden (1837–1908), American journalist and writer

• Alden Aaroe (1918–1993), American broadcast journalist and announcer
• Alden Anderson (1867–1944), American politician
• Alden G. Barber (1919–2003), American scouting executive
• Alden Brock (c. 2002–2015), American flooding victim
• Alden Brown (born 1957), also known as Peter North, Canadian pornographic actor, film director, and film producer
• Alden Carter (born 1947), American author
• Alden W. Clausen (1923–2013), American businessman
• Alden Partridge Colvocoresses (1918–2007), American military officer and cartographer
• Alden B. Dow (1904–1983), American architect
• Alden Ehrenreich (born 1989), American actor
• Alden Jenks (born 1940), American composer
• Alden Knipe (1870–1950), American football player and coach
• Alden McLaughlin (born 1961), Cayman Islands politician
• Alden H. Miller (1906–1965), American ornithologist, zoologist, and museum director
• Alden Nowlan (1933–1983), Canadian poet, novelist, playwright, and journalist
• Alden Partridge (1785–1854), American author, legislator, military officer, and surveyor
• Alden Pasche (1910–1986), American basketball coach
• Alden Penner (born 1983), Canadian musician, songwriter, and businessman
• Alden Richards (born 1992), Filipino actor, host, model, and recording artist
• Alden Roche (1945–2022), American football player
• Alden Sanborn (1899–1991), American rower
• Alden Thompson, American theologian
• Alden Whitman (1913–1990), American journalist

• Don Alden Adams (1925–2019), American clergyman
• Neil Alden Armstrong (1930–2012), American naval officer, test pilot, astronaut, and educator
• Vaughan Alden Bass, American painter
• Benjamin Alden Bidlack (1804–1849), American politician
• Charles Alden Black (1919–2005), American businessman, aquaculturalist, and oceanographer
• John Alden Carpenter (1876–1951), American composer
• Henry Alden Clark (1850–1944), American politician
• Stuart Alden Cook (born 1945), American musician
• John Alden Dix (1860–1928), American politician
• Walter Alden Dyer (1878–1943), American author and journalist
• John Alden Mason (1885–1967), American anthropologist, linguist, and curator
• Daniel Alden Reed (1875–1959), American football player, American football coach, and politician
• Phil Alden Robinson (born 1950), American film director and screenwriter
• William Alden Smith (1859–1932), American politician
• Elizabeth Alden Stam (1906–1934), American religious missionary
• J. Alden Weir (1852–1919), American painter
• Harold Alden Wheeler (1903–1996), American engineer

• Alden (The Walking Dead), a character in the horror drama television series The Walking Dead
• The Alden family, four siblings of which are the main characters of The Boxcar Children novel series
• The Alden family, one of the two main families portrayed in the American soap opera Loving
• James Alden, the main character in the 1931 American film The Millionaire
• Oliver Alden, the main character in the novel The Last Puritan
• Rev. Robert Alden, a character in the American television drama series Little House on the Prairie
• Roberta Alden, a character in the novel An American Tragedy
• Terri Alden, a character in the American television sitcom series Three's Company
• Thomas and Amy Alden, father and daughter that are main characters in the American film Fly Away Home
• Alden Jones, a character in the Canadian television cartoon series Braceface
• Alden Pyle, a character in the novel The Quiet American
• Alden, a secondary main villain and boss from the game inFamous
• Alden Dedrick Vacker, a character in the Keeper Of The Lost Cities book series by Shannon Messenger
• Alden Carruthers, a character from the game Red Dead Redemption 2
• Alden Kupferberg, a character in The Wolf of Wall Street (2013 film)

Aldén is a nearly homonymic surname that seems to be of Swedish or other Scandinavian origin, apparently unrelated to the English Alden surname. Among people with the Aldén surname are:

• Sebastian Aldén (born 1985), Swedish motorcycle racer
• Sonja Aldén (born 1977), English-Swedish singer-songwriter

• Alden (disambiguation)