Aidan

Aidan is a modern version of a number of Celtic language names, including the Irish male given name Aodhán, the Scottish Gaelic given name Aodhàn and the Cymraeg (Eng: Welsh) name Aeddan. Phonetic variants, such as spelled with an ‘e’ instead of an ‘a’, are appropriated and haven’t been prevalent until generations after the 19th century Irish Great Migration. The Irish language female equivalent is Aodhnait.

Aidan, Aiden, Aedan
Pronunciation/ˈeɪdən/
GenderUnisex[1]
Language(s)English, Cymraeg
Origin
Language(s)Irish, Scottish Gaelic, Cymraeg
Meaningborn of fire/the fiery one/little fiery one/intelligent/help
Region of originIreland
Popularitysee popular names

Etymology and spelling

The name is derived from the name Aodhán, which is a pet form of Aodh.[2] 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, Scotland and Wales, 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]

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.

Given name

Middle Ages

Modern times

Sports

Fictional characters
  • "Aidan" (The Inside episode), the title of episode 9 of the television series The Inside
  • Aidan Brosnan, fictional character played by Sean Maguire in the television series EastEnders
  • Aiden Burn, fictional female character in the television series CSI: NY
  • Aiden Dennison, fictional character in the television series South of Nowhere
  • Aidan Devane, fictional character played by Aiden Turner in the television series All My Children
  • Aiden Ford, fictional character in the television series Stargate Atlantis
  • Aiden Lucas, fictional character in the television series Ghost Whisperer
  • Aidan Lynch, fictional character in the novel Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
  • Aiden Pearce, protagonist in the video game Watch Dogs
  • Aidan Shaw, fictional character played by John Corbett in the television series Sex and the City
  • Aidan Waite, fictional character in the Syfy drama/horror Being Human

See also

References
  1. Name popularity in the US since 1880 from ourbabynamer.com (based on Social Security card applications). The database lists Aidan as being used consistently as a male and female name.
  2. "Aodhán". Encyclopedia.com. Archived from the original on 2010-10-23. Retrieved 31 October 2009.
  3. "Aodh". Encyclopedia.com. Archived from the original on 2011-06-28. Retrieved 31 October 2009.
  4. "Top names of the 2000s". United States Social Security Database. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  5. "Canada's Top Baby Names for 2007". BabyCenter.ca. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  6. Rosenkrantz, Linda; Satran, Pamela Redmond (2007). The Baby Name Bible. New York City: St. Martin's Griffin. p. 343. ISBN 978-0-312-35220-2.
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