UK boy's name
Aedan
Little fire, from Irish roots meaning "fiery" or "little fire".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Aedan is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Aedan popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1675, with 15 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2003, with 30 births.
This profile covers 452 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 50% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 696 living people in the UK are called Aedan. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Aedan ranked #1675 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 15 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2003, when 30 boys were registered as Aedan.
- • Aedan ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #374 in 2021.
- • About 696 living people in the UK are estimated to have Aedan as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#1675
2024
Births in 2024
15
Latest year
Peak year
2003
30 births
Estimated living
696
2026
Meaning
What does Aedan mean?
The name Aedan has its origins in the Gaelic language and refers to someone who is "born of fire" or a "fiery one." It is derived from the Old Irish word "aed," which means "fire." The name has been in use since ancient times and was particularly popular in Ireland and Scotland.
The earliest known record of the name Aedan dates back to the 6th century AD, when it was borne by Aedan mac Gabrain, a king of the Scottish kingdom of Dalriada. He reigned from around 574 to 608 AD and is known for his victories against the Angles of Northumbria.
Another notable figure with this name was Aedan of Ferns, an Irish saint who lived in the 7th century AD. He was the founder of the monastery of Ferns in County Wexford, Ireland, and is venerated as the patron saint of the Diocese of Ferns.
In the 9th century, Aedan mac Cennfalaid was the King of Leinster, a historic province of Ireland. He ruled from around 838 to 858 AD and is mentioned in various Irish annals for his military campaigns and conflicts with neighboring kingdoms.
During the Middle Ages, the name Aedan appeared in several manuscripts and chronicles, including the Annals of Ulster and the Annals of Tigernach, which were written by Irish monks and scholars.
In the modern era, one of the most notable bearers of the name Aedan was Aedan Petrie, an Irish historian and archaeologist who lived from 1832 to 1908. He made significant contributions to the study of Irish antiquities and was a co-founder of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland.
Other historical figures with the name Aedan include Aedan Dougherty, an Irish-American labor leader in the 19th century; Aedan MacCarthy, an Irish writer and journalist in the early 20th century; and Aedan Mac Airt, an Irish politician and member of the Irish Dáil Éireann (parliament) in the 1920s.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Aedan over time
The chart below shows babies named Aedan registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Aedan, the clearest high point is 2003. The latest England and Wales figure is 15 births in 2024, compared with 30 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Aedan by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Aedan was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #2411 | 46 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1386 | 188 | 10 |
| 2000s | #1144 | 181 | 10 |
| 1990s | #1365 | 37 | 4 |
Geography
Where Aedan is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Aedan. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Aedan ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #374 in 2021.
Across the UK
Aedan in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#533 in 2023
25 years of NRS records, 198 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#374 in 2021
14 years of NISRA records, 51 total registered
Related
Names similar to Aedan
- Alfie 86,546
- Alexander 85,525
- Adam 71,855
- Archie 59,965
- Arthur 43,586
- Aaron 36,366
- Alex 32,729
- Andrew 20,169
- Arlo 19,061
- Aidan 16,776
- Albie 16,017
- Albert 15,809
FAQ
Aedan: questions and answers
How popular is the name Aedan in the UK right now?
In 2024, Aedan was ranked #1675 for boys in England and Wales, with 15 births registered.
When was Aedan most popular?
The peak year on record was 2003, with 30 babies registered as Aedan in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Aedan?
Little fire, from Irish roots meaning "fiery" or "little fire".
How many people are called Aedan in the UK?
A total of 452 babies have been registered as Aedan across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 198 more in Scotland and 51 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Aedan most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Aedan ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #374 in 2021. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.