The Aidan, pronounced , rhyming trend is a trend in male and female given names in the United States in the late 1990s and 2000s.<ref> Wattenburg, Laura. Age of Aidans, Baby Name Wizard, May 12, 2005. </ref> They are also referred to as -aden names. A few of these names, especially Jaden, Hayden and Caden, are used to a lesser extent on females. -Aden names made up as many as 4% of babies born in 2006 were given names rhyming with Aidan. When taking slant rhymes, like Payton, into account, that number jumps to 5%.

Examples and Etymology

Aidan is a anglicized form of Aodhán, which is an Irish name meaning fire. Common respellings include Aiden, Ayden, Aedan, Aeden, and Aden. Hayden is derived from the Old English elements heg (hay) and denu (valley). <ref>http://www.behindthename.com/name/hayden</ref> The common respelling Haydn may be influenced by the classical composer of the same name, Joseph Haydn, even though the composer's name carries a different pronunciation. <ref>http://www.parenting.com/parenting/pregnancy/tools/babynamer/results/0,20081,HAYDEN__M,00.html,00.html</ref> Bradan is derived from the Irish surname Ó Bradáin, meaning "descendant of Bradán," which in turn is derived from a Gaelic word meaning "salmon." <ref>http://www.behindthename.com/name/braden</ref> Common respellings include Brayden, Braeden, and Braden. <ref> Popular Baby Names. Social Security Administration. May 11 2007.</ref> Jaden is possibly derived from the biblical name Jadon.<ref> Behind the Name</ref>, or may also be an elaboration of Jay or Jason. Common respellings include Jayden, Jaiden, Jadon, Jaydin, Jaeden, Jadyn, and Jaydin. <ref> Popular Baby Names. Social Security Administration. May 11 2007.</ref>
Most other variants, such as Zayden and Bladen, are simply made up by parents.

Popularity

The six names Aidan, Braden, Caden, Hayden, Jayden, and Zayden appeared on the Social Security Administration's Top 1000 popular baby names list, along with many variant spellings. <ref> Popular Baby Names. Social Security Administration. May 11 2007.</ref> The most popular -aden names were Aiden at 30th most popular, Aidan at 44, Jayden at 50, Hayden at 73, and Brayden at 79. Combining spelling variants boosts Aidan to the number 1 spot on the SSI Top 1000 popular baby names list. Jayden becomes 15th, and Caden becomes 22nd.<ref> Name Statistics</ref>

Jayden has recently be thrust into the spotlight with the birth of Jada Pinkett-Smith and Will Smith's first child, Jaden Christopher Syre, on July 8 1998 and Britney Spears' second child, Jayden James Federline on September 12 2006. Hayden has seen a distinct rise in usage since the debut of actress Hayden Panettiere.

References

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