Ayden

♂ Boy

Pronounced AY-den /ˈeɪ.dən/High

Meaning: Little fire; fiery oneHigh

In 30 seconds: A modern respelling of Aidan, the Irish name meaning 'little fire.' One of many variants in the hugely popular -aiden family that dominated boys' charts in the 2000s.

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Origin HighIrish, Gaelic

MeaningLittle fire; fiery one

Peak year2012

Total births (all-time)≈ 69,176

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

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

History & Origin

Ayden is a phonetic respelling of Aidan (also spelled Aiden), which derives from the Old Irish name Áedán, a diminutive of Áed meaning 'fire.' The name was borne by several early Irish saints, most notably Saint Aidan of Lindisfarne (d. 651), who evangelized northern England.

The Ayden spelling emerged as part of the early-2000s American trend of varying the spellings of popular names. While Aiden and Aidan remain more common, Ayden gained traction as a distinctive alternative. All variants of the name declined somewhat after their mid-2000s peak.

Did you know? The -aiden wave (Aidan, Aiden, Ayden, Caden, Jayden, Brayden) was so widespread in the 2000s that it was dubbed the '-aden phenomenon' by name researchers.

Variations

AidanAidenAdenAaden

Nicknames

AyAde

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Ayden…

Aiden— the standard spelling of the same name

Caden— rhyming -aden name from the same naming wave

Jayden— same era, same rhythmic pattern

Brayden— another popular -ayden variant from the 2000s

Frequently Asked

What does the name Ayden mean?

Ayden is a variant of Aidan, from Old Irish meaning 'little fire' or 'fiery one.'

How do you pronounce Ayden?

It's pronounced AY-den (/ˈeɪ.dən/) — two syllables with stress on the first.

Is Ayden a boy or girl name?

Ayden is used predominantly as a boy's name.

How popular is Ayden?

Ayden peaked in the U.S. in the mid-2000s as part of the -aden naming trend and has gradually declined since.