| Aidan | Sean | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Little fire | God is gracious |
| Origin | irish | irish |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | AY-dən | SHAWN |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| First appeared | 1936 | 1925 |
| Peak year | 2003 (10,067) | 1990 (12,018) |
| In 2025 | 1,043 | 616 |
| Trend | Declining | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Aidan | Sean |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 6,955 | 4,766 |
| 2010s | 25,446 | 21,540 |
| 2000s | 76,513 | 64,133 |
| 1990s | 8,783 | 92,003 |
| 1980s | 465 | 103,870 |
| 1970s | 172 | 83,819 |
| 1960s | 71 | 47,282 |
| 1950s | 21 | 5,452 |
| 1940s | 0 | 659 |
| 1930s | 5 | 101 |
| 1920s | 0 | 12 |
Anglicized form of Aodhan, a diminutive of the Old Irish name Aodh, which means 'fire' and was borne by a Celtic sun/fire god. The name therefore reads as 'little fire' or 'fiery one'.
The Irish form of John (Seán), borrowed from Norman-French Jehan, ultimately from Hebrew 'Yochanan' meaning 'God is gracious.' Anglicised variants include Shawn and Shaun.
Aidan is more popular than Sean today: about 1,043 US babies were given the name Aidan in 2025, compared with 616 named Sean.
Aidan means Little fire (irish origin), while Sean means God is gracious (irish origin).
In US records, Aidan first appears in 1936 and Sean in 1925, so Sean has the longer recorded history.