| Nathan | Aaron | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | he gave, given | Exalted; of uncertain origin |
| Origin | hebrew | Hebrew |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | NAY-thən | AIR-un |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2004 (14,634) | 1989 (15,308) |
| In 2025 | 4,975 | 4,041 |
| Trend | Declining | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Nathan | Aaron |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 31,755 | 27,346 |
| 2010s | 88,034 | 70,488 |
| 2000s | 134,857 | 86,992 |
| 1990s | 107,332 | 128,377 |
| 1980s | 105,987 | 138,357 |
| 1970s | 65,857 | 101,487 |
| 1960s | 15,524 | 26,070 |
| 1950s | 10,126 | 11,141 |
| 1940s | 5,577 | 5,940 |
| 1930s | 4,699 | 4,727 |
| 1920s | 6,715 | 6,177 |
| 1910s | 7,132 | 4,570 |
| 1900s | 1,616 | 1,050 |
| 1890s | 1,180 | 830 |
| 1880s | 1,106 | 910 |
From Hebrew Natan, from the root natan 'to give', meaning 'he gave' or 'given'. The same root underlies Nathaniel and Jonathan; on its own it denotes giving rather than naming God.
Aaron is a Hebrew name of debated meaning, often given as “exalted, high” or “mountain of strength.” In the Bible he is the elder brother of Moses and the first high priest of Israel.
Nathan is more popular than Aaron today: about 4,975 US babies were given the name Nathan in 2025, compared with 4,041 named Aaron.
Nathan means he gave, given (hebrew origin), while Aaron means Exalted; of uncertain origin (Hebrew origin).
In US records, Nathan first appears in 1880 and Aaron in 1880, so Nathan has the longer recorded history.