Aidan (name)

For the band, see Aiden.
Look up Aidan, aidan, or Aiden in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Aidan , Aiden, Aedan and Aeden
Pronunciation /ˈdən/
Gender Male
Language(s) Irish Scottish English
Origin
Word/name Ireland
Meaning Fiery one
Region of origin 400 B.C

Aida, Aiden, Aedan or Aeden are the primary anglicisations of the Irish given name Aodhán and the Scottish Gaelic given name Aodhàn.[1]

Etymology and spelling

The name is derived from the name Aodhán, which is a pet form of Aodh.[2] It can be used as a masculine or feminine given name. The personal name Aodh means "fiery" and/or "bringer of fire" and was the name of a Celtic sun god (see Aed).[3]

Formerly common only in Ireland and Scotland, the name and its variants have become popular in England, the United States, and Canada. Aidan has been the 57th most popular name in the United States since the start of the year 2000, bestowed on over 62,000 boys, while Aiden ranking 66th, has been used on over 51,000 boys. Other variants are a bit less popular, such as Hayden 88th, Ayden 189th, Aden 333rd, Aydan 808th, and Aydin 960th, according to the United States Social Security Database.[4] "Aidan/Aiden" was the most popular boys' name in Canada in 2007.[5]

The spellings Aydan, Aydin, or Aden are all more common with Turkish or Arabic origins, and have a different pronunciation.

Its popularity is also reflected in the occurrence of similar-sounding names such as Braden, Caden, Hayden, and Jayden.[6]

Aidan (or any reasonable variant) as a girl's name does not appear in the top one thousand names for girls from the same database, although it has occasionally been used for girls.

Some sources suggest that the feminine equivalent of Aidan is Eithne, which has the same meaning.[7]

Given name

Middle Ages

Modern times

Sports

Fictional characters

See also

References

  1. "Aidan". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 31 October 2009.
  2. "Aodhán". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 31 October 2009.
  3. "Aodh". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 31 October 2009.
  4. United States Social Security Database.
  5. http://www.babycenter.ca/pregnancy/naming/top2007/
  6. Rosenkrantz, Linda, and Satran, Pamela Redmond (2007). The Baby Name Bible. St. Martin's Griffin. ISBN 978-0-312-35220-2, p. 343
  7. Macleod, Iseabail and Freedman, Terry: The Wordsworth Dictionary of First Names, Wordsworth Editions, 1995, ISBN 1-85326-366-4, p.74.
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