The Slayden family appears in the census for Dickson County in 1820, 1830 and 1840, by which time there were four Slayden heads of household, all being descended from brothers Daniel Everett Slayden and William Everett Slayden. Both lines produced a prodigious number of military officers, medical doctors, or dentists. One son of Daniel Everett Slayden was Hartwell Marable Slayden, born ca. 1806, who had three sons who were medical doctors: William Marshall Slayden, John Dann Slayden and Hartwell Marable Slayden Jr. All three sons of Hartwell M. are in the 1850 Dickson County census, along with one of the patriarchs "William Everette Slayden" listed as a "waggonmaker" born 1788 in Virginia, and four other heads of households. The name of the community probably reflects the land ownership (possibly plantations) of this family, as the 1860 census reveals 35 "white" members of this extended family, and there are also slaves on the 1860 Slave Schedules. Alternatively, it could reflect the service of the three physicians to the community. The Slayden Cemetery (sometimes called Guerin Cemetery, an allied family) holds many members of this family. The name continued into the 1930 census. Most other lines of this family (cousinage proven by DNA) now use "Slayton" or "Slaton" as name spelling, though a few "Slayden"s are still found in parts of Tennessee and Florida.