Aidan

原This name is super cool! Although it seems to be very popular, it's such a cool name and it would be really easy to grow with. I could see the name Aidan on any type of guy. Although I prefer names like Kayden, Hayden, Brayden, etc. This name is still super dope.

原Why so much hate for the name Aidan? One of my closest friends has this name, and no one I've known has ever said anything about his name. He is legitimately Irish-English, he is not "fake Irish." Who even came up with that? Fake heritage?This is a beautiful name with a good meaning and it's one of my favorites in the world. And sure, I can see it on both genders. To everyone who's worrying about names being too popular or overused... I've known only this one Aidan ever. Every other little boy is not named Aidan, Aiden, Aden, or Ayden. Names become popular because they're good.

原Means fiery.

原This name was made popular (in the present day) by Sex and the City.

原I'm going to name my future daughter Aidan!

原There's nothing wrong with the name, it's just so popular and common nowadays that it has lost a lot of originality and charm. It feels stale because it has become so overused. Other than that, it's a fine name for a boy. I definitely think it's a masculine name, but more "soft masculine" than "hard masculine." I'll be honest, on girls it just sounds weird, and on women it doesn't sound nice at all.

原I would not name a girl Aidan.

原I agree Aidan is a very popular name. Seems to be all the more popular for boys 8 and younger. In 2001, when I named my DAUGHTER Aiden because I wanted a unique name that also looked good with her middle name, Leigh (a family name and also my middle name, pronounced "Lee"), there were no little boys named Aiden or even Aidan. The only Aidan I had heard of was Aidan Quinn. Granted, my daughter now at 15 says she has a boy's name, and watching her brother's baseball games are difficult where every team has a little boy "Aidan" and all are yelling "Go Aidan!" but at least I can say when I did name my beautiful girl Aiden, it was original. It means "fiery," and she is.

原Means firey little one.

原I chose this name before my son was born, I chose to spell his name in a unique way, so his spelling is Ayden. I love this strong name.

原My name is Aidan, so I might have a bit of a bias but I think it's a proud and masculine name. That said, I see no reason why a girl can't be named Aidan, chiefly because it's not up to you to decide who can have what name. Yes, it's considered a boys' name, but a lot of girls have boys' names and they suit them just fine. I think it's ridiculous that people still think that certain things like names and sports can only be had by one gender or the other, and it's really just left over from generations of typical sexist, racist, homophobic and neophobic Christians. (I'm not saying all Christians are bad by the way, just that they've made a name for themselves.)Swinging in a totally different direction: it irks me that the spelling "Aiden" exists. It's most often used as an ugly, American bastardization of an anglicized Gaelic name. That seems to apply to a lot of rhyming names too: they're cheap plastic American names that are given to just about every little boy around. Also, I don't know where you all live, but here in Canada I've never met another "an" Aidan, though the "en" variant is a dime a dozen.

原Please, for the love of God stop naming every boy on the face of the planet Aiden, Kaiden, Jayden, Haiden, or ANY OTHER -DEN NAME. It sounds like a GIRL name and you know it's bad when your son has FIVE kids in his class with different variations and spelling of the same name!

原This is a GREAT strong name for a girl. We named our daughter Aidan and she loves it. It fits her personality perfectly. She is a strong, passionate, self-motivated, compassionate, beautiful and successful 14 year-old. We named her after St. Aidan and couldn't be happier with our choice of a uni-sex name. For those who feel this name should only be given to males, remember that Kelly, Kelsey, Ashley, Leslie, Tracy, Taylor, Jordan, Morgan, Robin, etc., were all once thought to be "boy only" names. Times change. There are many boys named Aiden in our daughter's class but only one girl, and her male and female friends love her name. They can't imagine her with any other name and neither can we. We've never ever regretted our decision. By the way, if she'd been a boy, her name would have been William and we would have called her Liam.

原God, this name is so disgustingly overused. Every other little boy in America is named this, and it's even starting to pop up in France where I live! I think it works fine on a child or a teenager, but I just can't picture it on anyone over 30.

原I hate this name so much I don't understand why it's so popular. It was the word AIDS in it! Even if it's seen differently it's still pronounced like that. It's awful.

原My name is Aedan and I am a girl and to me from my view if a mother named her daugther Aedan she better be ready for the bullying and picking on that will follow that child. I have been bullied about my name. But I do love my name because it's different and unique. There are good reasons, but there are a list of bad reasons to NEVER name your daughter Aedan. 1. Bullies. 2. Almost everyone will mis say your name because it's spelled differently. 3. People who hear about you and don't see you will think you're a guy. 4. Every time you type your name into a computer you have to deal with the fact the computer thinks you miss-spelled it. And that's just a few from the top of my list.

原My name is Aidan and I AM a female. A lot of you are saying Aidan is Not a female name. Yes, Aidan is a female name. What you are all saying is that it is meant to be a masculine Irish man's name. YES, that it is, but if an Irish father has a daughter it is a tradition to name their child (daughter) Aidan.

原LOVE it! I really do! But this name and its many variants are soooo overused these days...

原I think this name (and all other variants) is pretty ridiculous. It doesn't sound like a real name to me. This reminds me of something a ditsy teenager would name their son. It also isn't fitting on anyone out of elementary school.

原Can be used as a female name as well.

原I don't know that it matters much these days about girls having boys names. It's no different than a boy being named Amy or Sue in my opinion, but for those that would like to be politically correct there is a feminine spelling for Aidan that means "Little Fire" Aidean or Aideen but in this day and age I'm sure you could spell it any way your heart desires.

原This is an awesome, sexy name for a guy! ;D.

原Aidan Davis, an English street dancer and rapper.

原Aidan makes me think of an elementry aged, blond hair, blue eyed kid who has ADHDWeird, I know, but that's what the name makes me picture. I much prefer Adrian; makes me think of a darker featured, calmer male who's handsome and the strong silent type with a keen eye and has intelligence.Aidan is just too trendy and overused and I cant help but to think of a little trouble maker, zpoiled brat.

原I am a girl and my name is Aiden, named after a nun 'sister Aiden' also named after 'Saint Aiden'. To be honest, reading all of your ridiculous comments saying how it's a boys name or that it'll give you aids is so closed-minded. Who decides if it's a girl or a boys name? Nobody. It's just somebody's opinion. Just get over it, I certainly have and it's nice to see other girls with my name are out there. I like being different, even if I have to repeat my name every time somebody asks or get told I have a boys name, it really doesn't matter.

原It isn't a unisex name for the same reasons that David or Richard aren't unisex names. Boys were always called Aidan. Girls were not.

原So how does everyone know that Aidan was strictly a masculine name historically when we really just don't know for sure? I think it's unisex until someone can prove otherwise. Time machine anyone?

原No, Aidan is not a unisex name. Just because some girls get called Aidan doesn't make it unisex. It is a boys name.

原Aidan IS a unisex name. Yes, it is more popular as a male's name, but there are also females named Aidan. I named my daughter Aidan, and everyone tells her that it's a lovely, beautiful name.

原Aidan, written as عيدان in Arabic (pronounced the same way) means "chopsticks; wood; rod".According to:http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%AFhttp://www.hamariweb.com/dictionaries/arabic-english-dictionary.aspx?ue=%D8%B9%D9%8A%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%86.

原I really like this name, but only with this spelling. Aiden just doesn't look as nice to me. I know it's very popular, but I would consider using this name! It's really handsome, in my opinion.

原St. Aidan of Iona (seventh century) founded a monastery at Lindisfarne.

原Aidan Turner also plays the dwarf Kili in the incredible, awesome new Hobbit Trilogy. I really liked the movie, and Aidan Turner's portrayal was very good. I would probably never name a child Aidan, however, even though I like the Irish sound.

原Aidan Turner is an Irish actor, best known for his role as Mitchell the vampire in BBC's Being Human.

原If Aidan has a female twin, you could call her Nadia. Or Diana! Both are anagrams of Aidan.

原I love my name! Im a girl, 14, and everybody thinks it's cool that I have a guys name. I think it's cool for a girl, and it fits really well with my pesonality. After all, it's not as bad as my friends' name being Barry! My name is flipping awesome!

原Aidan is not really a fad name because it wasn't simply made up in the last 20 years and has been around for a long time. I suppose it may seem like one though if it has become so frequent all at once. Although I'm not really bothered by it, I think it's silly using Aidan on girls. It may not be as typically masculine as John or David, but it is still more suited to a boy, which is the gender the name was meant for. Just leave it be.

原It's probably not very accurate, but with a few tweaks I believe the name Aidan can actually mean 'eternal tale' in Japanese!

原I love the name Aidan because it's Irish (like me) but I feel that it is now becoming too popular not to mention, for some odd reason, people have been naming girls Aidan. Rest assured, Aidan is a male name.

原I love the name Aidan. I also like it spelled Aiden.

原This name would have been fine if not for the rhyming fad from the 1990s and 2000s. I agree with an above poster that this is a child's name, one that a person will outgrow very quickly. It would be very strange to meet an adult named Aidan -- at least in the US and Canada (minus Newfoundland). It was pretty much unused prior to 1990.

原Sounds like a girly-man name to me-- when used in English/American context.Sorry.

原This name has definitely overstayed its welcome. But I will say that I prefer this particular spelling, without unnecessary y's or e's or what have you.

原This name was cool forty years ago. It may well be cool in another forty years time.Right now, it's definitely worn out its welcome.

原Aidan would be an okay name if it and its cousins weren't so popular. There are kids named Aidan, Aiden, Aidyn, Braden, Brayden, Caden, Jaden, Jayden, and Hayden running around everywhere.

原I actually like the name Aidan. I think it is very lovely and handsome name I would call my son and my son only Aidan, as in my opinion it sounds not as nice on a girl :(

原This is a beautiful name, but too bad it had to become trendy :((

原Nice name. I've known both a male Aidan and a female Aidan and they both suited their name very well.

原Aidan is the illustrator/writer of the Book of Kells in "The Secret of Kells" which is an animated movie based on Irish Mythology.

原The name Aidan comes form the Irish Aodhán, meaning "little fire", from old Irish "Aedh" fire, with the diminutive "án" added.

原My name is Aidan, and I'm a girl. I find it silly that people seem so upset that someone would dare use this name as a name for a girl. I think it's a wonderful, strong name, and it works just as well for a female as it does a male.

原I really like the name Aidan. I think it's a strong masculine name. I might have named a future son this, but I have a nephew called Aidan.

原It really isn't a bad name besides it's obnoxious trendiness and popularity. The only out-off with having this name is seeing so many others with it.

原I don't care much for this name, but this is by far the best spelling there is.

原I've never met an Aidan in my life. And I think it's a great name! (But only for boys. Not for girls. Ever.)

原Most certainly not my style. It makes me think of sheep (and not the woolly kind).

原Overused in the U.S? I live there and I have never ever met a single Aidan. I personally like this name. Like not love. It sounds like a sweet name, it fits on both sexes because of that. I'd recommend this name. =D

原I don't know what people mean about it being extremely popular in the U.S. I've lived here my whole life and never met an Aidan. One Jayden, but that's not exactly the same. I used this name on a character in my story and I think it's a strong, beautiful masculine name. I'm not such a fan of it as a girl's name, but *shrug*. I don't think anybody should restrict their usage of a name just because they're of a different heritage or the name is popular at the time. Names are rather enduring things and don't have to fit within societal norms or 'fads'. Whatever floats your boat, man.

原Aidan is the "sweetest" name ever for a baby boy and "cute" name for a little boy. A "cool" name for a teenage boy. And a "elegant" "strong" and "sophisticated" name for a handsome man! "Aidan" is my son's name and don't think I could've made a better choice. I love his name!

原This is my middle name and I'm rather indifferent towards it. My mom chose this for me back in 1994, when almost no one was being named this. Today, every other kid is named Aidan or one of its awful variants. Even though this name isn't really my style, I just want to reiterate how important it is to spell it correctly. Aaden, Aedin, and Aydun just aren't right.

原I love the name Aidan because it is Gaelic, I like how it sounds, and it means fiery. I don't think it sounds wimpy or anything but soft yet strong. It's a shame that it is so popular though. I liked this name before many people began naming their kids Aidan. Yeah I do see where it would be annoying when people would think your name was Hayden or Cayden or Brayden. But there are other names that have that issue (example: Jason and Dason, Ryan and Brian, Justin and Dustin).

原I prefer the name Aiden over Brayden, Caden, & Jaydon. The name makes me think of the actor Aidan Quinn. I also prefer the spellings Aidan, Aiden over Aydan, etc.

原I don't get the appeal of this name in any form. It sounds so juvenile.

原I always thought Aidan sounded like a girl's name even though I never met a girl named Aidan. It seems like a fine name for little boys, but when I meet a grown man with the name Aidan, it feels unfitting and awkward, like a shirt 2 sizes too small. I'm surprised that so many posters are so passionately opposed to this name for girls. If you don't like it then don't name your daughter Aidan, but don't take other people doing so as a personal offense or crime against humanity.

原A "trendy" name. If you name your child this, expect him to share the name with at least 2 or 3 other kids in his class as well.

原I like the sound of the name Aidan, but it's dreadfully common for my taste. And yes, it is a totally masculine name. I can't quite figure out why people think it's a girls' name. Whatever.

原Only name your child this if you really like the way their last initial sounds with it because they surely will be called by it A LOT considering how popular and trendy this name is. This name seems rather incomplete to me and with all the many different spellings, it would be constantly misspelled. The similar names like Jayden, Kaden, Hayden could also be confusing and/or annoying at times.

原But it's NOT really a unisex name. It's ALWAYS been a boys name until very very recently. For centuries it was completely masculine. Your usage is weak enough that pretty much anything can be a unisex name. Just because a few people started giving it to girls too when it became really popular doesn't make it truly unisex.

原All right, for all of you simple-minded people that think that this name is ONLY for boys, then you have got to be kidding me. Aidan is a UNISEX name. And for those of you that do not understand the meaning of UNISEX, here is a definition:Unisex name: A unisex name is a name that can be used for both boys AND girls.Aidan is a strong and beautiful name. Personally it sounds soft and feminine to me, but also strong. It is a beautiful name and bears a beautiful meaning. ANYONE, girl or boy, who has this named is blessed with a wonderful name. So for all of you who think this is a bad name or is not suited for girls, think again. My name is Aidan, and yes, I am a girl. It's perfect for both sexes, so please be more considerate and think before you trash people's names, especially one so beautiful.

原About five years ago, I would've said 'Hey, what a great name! It's so unusual and unheard of!' Now it seems like everybody has heard of this name. In fact, every childless couple I meet seems to want to name one of their children Aidan.

原My brother was named Aidan after my mother's friend from Ireland suggested it [after first pushing for Quiggley, ew] back in 1995. At first most people commented on how unusual it was. Then, when he was about 5 or 6, we started meeting little girls named Aidan, and people began butchering the spelling. But the real kicker for me was that every one of these people who started using Aidan/Aiden/Ayden/Aydin/etc. thought that they were so orginal. Please, stop using Aidan for a female and stop butchering the spelling. It is a fine name as it is, there is no need for you to be "different". Because you're just being different like everybody else.

原I really like this name. I live in the Netherlands where I only know one boy with this name and he is half Turkish so it's probably not even this name at all. I'd like to give this to a son for a middle name later but I'm afraid that ten years from now the name will be "so 2000's" which would be a shame because it's really a beautiful name.

原I love this name, but the fact that this name has become so disgustingly popular and common is enough of a reason for me not to use it, even as a middle name. One day, we'll have insufferable jocks, frat boys, and Republican politicians by this name in this world because Americans have started to overuse the name. It pains me to think about it, but I think we can easily say that this beautiful name isn't what it used to be, or won't be when that inevitably happens. This name also rhymes with other immensely popular and common names in America today, and will thus get negative reactions. Too bad, because I used to be able to associate the name with something like Waltz for Aidan, a beautiful track by Mogwai. I think this name sounds plain weird on females, especially to those who are actually used to this name being masculine, which it is. If you like this for a girl, you could always pick Ada, right? Kind of like you pick Brenda rather than Brendan, Julia rather than Julian, Eva rather than Evan, etc etc. The name isn't one of those ridiculously masculine names, but it doesn't really even strike me as a tomboy name or a name for androgynous females, let alone indie rocker types, who'd rather not have such a trendy, overused name.

原It's a very cool name, but sadly when I'm older it'll be like, "oooh it's my dad's name!"

原My best friend in the entire world is named Aidan. She is a girl. I do not think it suits a little boy as much. Her name matches her red hair and her "firey" personality. I think it suits girls just as much as guys and that it is a lovely name.

原My wife and I named our son Aiden because we simply like the name. No connection to Irish heritage or a famous person. We just like the way it sounds, masculine yet not too rough, and THOUGHT it was uncommon. Only after we had settled on it did we find out how popular it is - and all the names that sounds like it. We are certainly disappointed about that, but ultimately we are happy with our choice and I have never seen a more appropriately named child. He is certainly a fiery spirit!

原Why would anyone want to name their daughter this name? When you name a girl a boy name, you not only sound ridiculous and trendy, but you take away enough of the masculinity of the name for it to sound weird on a boy, but on a girl is sounds WAYYYY too butchy. So in truth you ruin the name for both genders. Why would you want to give a girl a name that has been a male name for perhaps thousands of years? Why not give a daughter the name Samuel, Steven, Jonathan, Markus, or Robert as well? Let us face it, many Gaelic MALE names have a SLIGHT feminine ring to them, to a Anglo ear. Because Anglo names for men are rough, often macho and meaning things like spears and helmets and such. While there is nothing wrong with that, there is CERTAINLY nothing wrong with a male name that means Warmth or any such thing and is more melodious to the ear. Give girls the names of noble women, and give boys the names of men. Please! Why do we in America have to take things from other parts of the world, or our own past history and bastardize it and make it a ridiculous cliche, or a trend? Why can't we just leave some things as they always have been, like gender-linked names.

原Bo Bice (of 'American Idol' fame) and wife Caroline gave this name to their son in 2005.

原Of Irish origin, meaning 'warm'.

原This name is over-used by teenaged mothers, I cannot stand the name anymore.

原Is it not meant to be Aidán with a fádá over the a. So it's pronounced A-dawn, not A-din. In my experience anyway.

原Get over yourself, and the use of Aiden. We chose it simply because we like it, and not because of any "tenuous and superficial connection to Irish culture".

原As mentioned in a few comments prior:Aidan Fogarty, an Irish hurling player.Aidan O'Brien, an Irish horse-racing trainer.Aidan O'Keefe, an Irish footballer. Aidan Gillen, an Irish actor, whose real name is Aidan Murphy.Aidan Higgins, an Irish writer. Aidan Browne, a Northern Ireland TV presenter. Wait a minute, I thought you said only Americans who were trying to have some Irish culture named their kids this. Looks like you don't know what you are talking about. And what's the big deal if Americans name their sons this?

原Silly name given to their sons by Americans who only have the most tenuous and superficial connection to Irish culture, and little connection to their own, but who want to capitalize on Irish trendiness. The kind of people who probably couldn't even find Ireland on the map. Skip this name, prospective parents.

原Oh I like this name! It's different and cool! SWEET!

原What is with all the comments saying "Aidan is a boy's name, and a boy's name only! Blah blah blah!" Aidan sounds slightly feminine, and I feel that it fits both males and females. It is more of a boy's name, because of its usage over the years, but it can be used for girl too. My cousin's name is Aidan, and she's a 15 year old girl.

原I think Aidan is a great name for a guy. I would love to name my kid this. (man I like too many names I'll need to have like 50 kids just to use all of the names I like!) LOL.

原Historical figures:-Saint Aidan of Lindisfarne (d. 651) a missionary who restored Christianity to Northumbria. -Saint Aidan of Llawhaden (c.550-626), known, in Ireland, as Maedoc or Mogue, an Irish Saint who studied in Wales before establishing the monastery of Ferns, County Wexford. Current figuresAidan Banks, a guitarist. Aidan Barclay, an English businessman. Aidan Browne, a Northern Ireland TV presenter. Aidan Chambers, an English author. Aidan Delgado, a US anti-war activist. Aidan Gillen, an Irish actor, whose real name is Aidan Murphy. Aidan Girt, a Canadian drummer. Aidan Hartley, an author and journalist. Aidan Higgins, an Irish writer. Aidan Hughes, an English artist. Aidan McArdle, an Irish actor. Aidan O'Donnell, an American child actor. Aidan Quinn, an Irish-American actor. Aidan White, a journalist. Sporting figuresAidan Collins, an English professional footballer. Aidan Daly, a New Zealand basketball player. Aidan Davison, an English professional footballer. Aidan Fogarty, an Irish hurling player. Aidan O'Brien, an Irish horse-racing trainer. Aidan O'Keefe, an Irish footballer. Fictional figuresAidan, a fictional character in the computer game Guild Wars. Aidan Bok, a fictional character from the novel Galaxy of Fear: Ghost of a Jedi by John Whitman. Aidan Brosnan, a fictional character played by Sean Maguire in the serial drama East Enders. Aidan of Gwynedd, a fictional character from the Deryni novels by Katherine Kurtz. Aidan Haldane, another fictional character from the Deryni novels by Katherine Kurtz. Aidan Lynch, a fictional character from the novel Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling. Aidan Shaw, a fictional character played by John Corbett in the serial drama Sex and the City.

原My name is Aidan, and I'm a 14 year old guy. I always liked my name, until recently. Now it seems that every boy under the age of four has this name, or some variation (Aiden, Caden, Jayden, Ayden). Plus people always spell my name weird (Adain, Aiden, Aydin, Aden).Also, some kids at school call me AIDS. For the longest time I loved my name, because it celebrated my Scottish heritage, but now it's become more of a burden. I'm thinking of going by my middle name, since it's impossible to spell it wrong.

原I named my first born son Aidan because I have always loved the name. I especially liked the fact that it was relatively uncommon. Unfortunately, in the last two years I have been hearing it everywhere. Whilst I'm glad other people find it beautiful, I'm a little bit sad that the name is losing some of its charm and originality.

原It's a fad name, and I dislike fad names with a passion.

原I know a guy named Aidan and he's definitely not a girly man nor does he have A.I.D.S. Anyway, I like this name, but I wouldn't use it because it's way too overused.

原Aidan is Nadia backwards.

原It is a boy's name and with a fáda on the second a (Aidán) it can be pronounced A-dawn.

原It's popular, yes, but it's still nice name for boy and ONLY for a boy. It fits little boys, but doesn't sound ridiculous for an old man, either.

原I like this name but it's too popular. I prefer it on boys, as was of course the way it was originally used. At least it's an authentic Gaelic name, not something someone made up like Jaden.

原I wish this name wasn't so incredibly popular, because I really love it, and wish I could use it on a son of my own (granted, I am fourteen and won't reproduce for at least another ten years, but still).

原Famous bearer is Aidan Mitchell, who plays Sam Malloy on The Riches.

原I think I want to barf every time I see this name. Not because it's incredibly ugly (although I don't know what kind of nicknames the kids at school will get out of it. Aid?) but because I've seen it used and parodied (Caden? Hayden? MAIDEN?) so many times on members of EITHER gender. Honestly, people. Not everyone wants to have this name. With tons of friends whose names rhyme with theirs.

原I like this name but would never use it due to its insane popularity and all the names like. Such as Hayden and others like Raiden. And just to clarify, it isn't just used by out of touch people and new age freaks. Some people do use it to honor their Irish heritage.