A beloved 2000s boy name that sparked numerous baby naming trends and became notorious for his many spellings, Aiden has captured the hearts of many parents in need of a name for their son. A masculine choice that has barely faded from his peak, Aiden continues to be in wide use. But do his variants make him sound dated and overused? Or will his sweet meaning and familiar sound keep him at the top of every parent’s list? Today, I’m exploring the pros and cons of Aiden’s popularity, sound, variant spellings, and nicknames.
Why is Aiden so loved?
Although Aiden’s sounds appear trendy enough to be made-up, Aiden actually has roots as a variant spelling of the anglicized version of the Irish Aodhán, Aidan. Diving even further into Aiden’s origin story, Aodhán originates as an affectionate nickname for Aodh. Aodh is a Gaelic name that belonged to the Celtic god of fire, and is pronounced “ey”, similarly to the first syllable of Aiden. Not only that, the sweet meaning of this cherished boy name: “little fiery one,” is excellent and meaningful for any child, but particularly special for parents of a preemie or baby in the NICU because of its nod to strength despite being small.
It isn’t just the meaning that is sweet, as the bearers of the name are known to be equally kind. St. Aidan was an Irish saint who was known for his kindness to animals and converted many people to Christianity, as well as serving as a bishop. The name may hold deep significance for parents who want a name connected to their faith but desire something subtle for their son, or are looking specifically for a saint’s name. Besides the saint, other notable Aidans and Aidens include Aidan Turner, the actor behind Kili of the Hobbit, and Aiden McGeady, a professional footballer for Ireland.
Not only that, Aiden is perfect for the top ten. When examining the patterns within the names in the top ten, it’s noticeable that Liam, Noah, Mason, Logan, and Lucas are all two syllable names without an obvious nickname option, a group that Aiden blends right into. Aiden is quite the trendsetter and wouldn’t have any issue fitting into the top ten gang if a lot of use promoted him to that level. However, he is slipping further and further from the top ten, to the delight of many parents who want to use him, but think that he’s just too popular.
Sounds great! Why wouldn’t I want to use him?
On paper, #19 popularity seems manageable. But Aiden has launched an army of similar names like Jayden (30), Jaden (269), Jaiden (311), Brayden (84), Braydon (856), Braden (578), Zaiden (429), Zayden (186), Raiden (423), Rayden (683), Caden (237), Caiden (348), Cayden (251), Kaden (220), Kaiden (138), Kayden (97), Hayden (180), Haden (952), and Haiden (986), and that's not including the popularity for girls. These names are nearly the same as Aiden, and when calling one of them out into a preschool classroom, you risk several heads turning. When adding all of Aiden’s brother names up, you’ll find that his popularity far exceeds #19 in terms of sound. If slight variants don’t phase you, but loads of alternative spellings do, Aiden is still one to avoid. Ayden (104), Aden (511), Aaden (888), Aydin (861), Aidan (241), Aydan (966) and more populate the top 1000, which doesn’t add any comfort to an already popular name. Because the same sounds repeat so often, it may feel as if more children have the name than they do, which can be upsetting to a new parent who thought that #19 was border-line in itself.
And speaking of variants, Aiden, the most common spelling, is actually a variant in itself. Aidan is the authentic anglicized version of the name Aodhán, so an anglicized version of a name that has already been altered simply for style preferences is disrespectful, some would say, to the culture that you’re taking that name from. However, if you do choose the authentic anglicized version, you risk constantly having to respell your son's name and face criticism for choosing a “weird” spelling that will burden your child.
Predictions For Aiden:
Although I can see why parents have chosen Aiden in the past because of his numerous strong qualities, Aiden has been on a downhill plunge for years, and I don’t think anything (other than maybe a royal baby) can reverse that. Aiden was very trendy for one decade, spiking momentarily, so I doubt that parents today see him as a fresh choice. While some names, like Emily or William, can get away with getting extremely popular in a certain decade and yet still feeling appropriate for a baby today, others can’t, and I think that Aiden has sadly fallen victim to that, despite his many endearing traits.
Sincerely,
~Delphina Moon
What are your opinions on the name Aiden? Do you prefer one of his variants?
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