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Aftan
How to Pronounce Aftan
Pronounced AF-tuhn /ˈæf.tən/High
Meaning: Aftan is a variant spelling of Afton, which comes from a river and place name in Scotland. The name entered wider use partly through Robert Burns's song 'Sweet Afton,' with its line 'Flow gently, sweet Afton.' As a place name its deeper roots are uncertain, but its gentle literary association is well documented.Low
Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Aftan is a spelling variant of Afton, a Scottish river and place name carried into English affection by Robert Burns's 1791 song 'Sweet Afton.' Used as a given name for both girls and boys, the Afton form is itself uncommon, and the Aftan spelling rarer still - appearing from about 1981, cresting near 1983, and fading within a decade. It was given to only a couple dozen girls a year even at its peak.
An Aftan from the early 1980s is now an adult. The name's soft two syllables and its Burns connection give it a gentle, pastoral feel; the standard Afton is the spelling that has held on, while Aftan stayed a brief, rarer variant.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Aftan mean?
It is a respelling of Afton, a Scottish river and place name made famous by Robert Burns's song 'Sweet Afton.'
How do you pronounce Aftan?
It's said AF-tuhn /ˈæf.tən/, two syllables, stress on the first.
Is Aftan a boy or girl name?
Aftan is used mainly as a girl's name.
How popular is Aftan?
It has always been rare, a spelling of the already-uncommon Afton that surfaced in the early nineteen-eighties and soon faded.