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Aedan

Boy name · 198 babies recorded · 1974–2025

Aedan: 198 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to boys, peaking at 21 births in 2002.

Aedan is a modern spelling of the ancient Gaelic name Aodhán, a diminutive of Aodh, meaning “fire” or “little fire.” It shares its roots with the Irish saint Aidan of Lindisfarne, who brought Christianity to Northumbria, and historically with Aedan mac Gabhran, a 6th-century king of Dalriada in what is now Argyll and Bute. Several Scottish churches bear Saint Aidan’s name, though the spelling Aedan remains less common. As a variant of the ever-popular Aidan—often spelled Aiden in recent decades—Aedan offers a traditional yet distinct choice that still carries the warmth of its fiery origins.