Aidan

♂ Boy

Pronounced AY-den /ˈeɪ.dən/High

Meaning: Anglicization of the Irish Aodan, a diminutive of Aodh (fire, the Celtic sun-god), meaning 'little fire' or 'little fiery one'.High

In 30 seconds: Aidan means 'little fire' and burns brightly in baby name charts worldwide. With deep Irish roots and a beloved saint's pedigree, it ignited a generation of -aiden names in the 2000s.

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Origin HighIrish Gaelic

MeaningAnglicization of the Irish Aodan, a diminutive of Aodh (fire, the Celtic sun-god), meaning 'little fire' or 'little fiery one'.

U.S. rank (2025)#326 ↘ Falling

2025 U.S. births1,043 boys (0.06% of U.S. boys)

Peak year2003

Total births (all-time)≈ 118,413

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

History & Origin

Aidan is the anglicization of the Irish Aodan, a pet form of Aodh, the name of the Celtic god of fire and the sun. Saint Aidan of Lindisfarne (died 651 CE) was an Irish monk from Iona who became the first bishop of Lindisfarne in Northumbria, instrumental in bringing Christianity to northern England. His saintly reputation gave the name lasting reverence.

While Aidan remained primarily an Irish name for centuries, it exploded in the United States and other English-speaking countries in the late 1990s and 2000s, reaching the top 50 boys' names. Its popularity spawned a wave of rhyming variants including Jayden, Hayden, Kayden, Brayden, and Cayden — collectively known as the '-aiden' trend. Today Aidan is still popular and retains its position as the original and most classic of the set.

Did you know? Aidan single-handedly sparked a massive naming trend: by the 2000s, dozens of -aiden/-aden/-ayden variants flooded the US top 100 simultaneously, a phenomenon linguists call a 'name cluster' — and Aidan was the original flame.

Overall data confidence 93%

MacLysaght, Edward. The Surnames of Ireland — Irish Gaelic root Aodh and its diminutiveSocial Security Administration Name Data — US popularity and -aiden cluster analysis

Variations

AidenAedanAydenAydan

Nicknames

AidAidy

Famous Bearers

★Saint Aidan of Lindisfarne (590–651 CE)
Irish monk and first Bishop of Lindisfarne, credited with Christianizing Northumbria.

If you like Aidan…

Liam— short, strong Irish name that dominated the same era of American Irish-name popularity

Declan— Irish saint's name with the same Celtic fire and warmth and growing US popularity

Finn— short Irish mythological name with elemental imagery and modern crossover appeal

Frequently Asked

What does the name Aidan mean?

Aidan means 'little fire', as a diminutive of the Irish Aodh (fire, the sun-god).

How do you pronounce Aidan?

Aidan is pronounced AY-den (/ˈeɪ.dən/), two syllables with stress on the first.

Is Aidan a boy or girl name?

Aidan is predominantly a boy's name, though Aiden and Ayden occasionally appear for girls.

How popular is Aidan?

Aidan reached the US top 50 in the 2000s and remains in the top 100, having launched the broader -aiden naming trend.