Aidan is an Irish given name, a diminutive of Aodh and usually translated into English as "little fire" or similar. Formerly common only in Ireland , the name (together with variants) has become popular in the United Kingdom and United States of America . Aidan is currently the 54th most popular name in the United States since the start of the year 2000, bestowed on over 62,000 boys. Other variants are less popular, with Aiden the 66th most popular, Hayden the 88th, Ayden the 189th, Aden the 333rd, Aydan the 808th and Aydin the 960th, according to the United States Social Security Database . Its popularity is also reflected in the occurrence of similar-sounding names such as Braden , Caden , Hayden , and Jaden .