| Sean | Aiden | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | God is gracious | Little fire |
| Origin | irish | Irish |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | SHAWN | AY-den |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1925 | 1970 |
| Peak year | 1990 (12,018) | 2009 (16,030) |
| In 2025 | 616 | 5,046 |
| Trend | Declining | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Sean | Aiden |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 4,766 | 42,793 |
| 2010s | 21,540 | 129,675 |
| 2000s | 64,133 | 83,554 |
| 1990s | 92,003 | 1,642 |
| 1980s | 103,870 | 76 |
| 1970s | 83,819 | 25 |
| 1960s | 47,282 | 0 |
| 1950s | 5,452 | 0 |
| 1940s | 659 | 0 |
| 1930s | 101 | 0 |
| 1920s | 12 | 0 |
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.
Aiden (Aidan) is from the Irish Aodhán, a diminutive of Aodh, the name of a Celtic sun and fire god — hence the sense “little fire.”
Aiden is more popular than Sean today: about 5,046 US babies were given the name Aiden in 2025, compared with 616 named Sean.
Sean means God is gracious (irish origin), while Aiden means Little fire (Irish origin).
In US records, Sean first appears in 1925 and Aiden in 1970, so Sean has the longer recorded history.