Aaron
Aaron was the 80th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 4,041 babies. Its best year was 1994, when it ranked 28th; the most babies were born in 1989 (15,308). Over the last ten years it has moved down 28 places. More babies were named Aaron in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · Hebrew
Say it AIR-uhn /ˈɛrən/
- Rank in 2025
- #80 boys, down 17 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 4,041boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 198915,308 babies
- Total since 1880
- 618,857babies recorded
What does the name Aaron mean?
Aaron is the English form of Hebrew Aharon, the name of Moses' elder brother and Israel's first high priest. DMNES and Wiktionary both call the original meaning uncertain. Suggested sources include an Egyptian name, Hebrew words meaning 'high' or 'exalted', and 'mountain', but none is proven. The h dropped out in Greek, giving Aaron. Wikipedia notes that the name was mostly Jewish in the Middle Ages and taken up by Christians in the 17th century; DMNES finds it in England as early as the 1180s.
אַהֲרֹן (Biblical Hebrew, “Aharon”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Meaning unknown. Proposals include an Egyptian origin and Hebrew 'exalted' or 'mountain'.
Other explanations you may read: Means 'high mountain' or 'mountain of strength'.
Related names: Aron, Aharon, Harun, Arron.
See also: Hebrew names.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Aaron', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Hebrew Bible, Exodus 4:14, JPS translation with notes (via Sefaria), Sefaria; verse reference and facts only, not quoted
- Wiktionary, entry 'Aaron', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Aaron popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 4,395 since 1914, 17 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #80 | 4,041 |
| 2020 | #63 | 5,100 |
| 2010 | #55 | 7,470 |
| 2000 | #41 | 9,561 |
| 1990 | #34 | 14,557 |
| 1980 | #34 | 13,166 |
| 1970 | #52 | 6,584 |
| 1960 | #178 | 1,768 |
| 1950 | #230 | 798 |
| 1940 | #234 | 514 |
| 1930 | #252 | 499 |
| 1920 | #199 | 668 |
| 1910 | #187 | 145 |
| 1900 | #193 | 104 |
| 1890 | #147 | 96 |
| 1880 | #131 | 102 |
How popular is Aaron, counting every spelling?
Aaron is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #77 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #80 for Aaron on its own. Together these spellings went to 4,571 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron | 4,041 | #80 | 22,246 |
| Aron | 377 | #711 | 1,786 |
| Arin | 73 | #2,037 | 373 |
| Aarin | 32 | #3,513 | 209 |
| Arron | 12 | #6,838 | 94 |
| Arun | 12 | #6,842 | 66 |
| Aaren | 9 | #8,249 | 60 |
| Aaran | 5 | #12,011 | 47 |
| Ehren | — | — | 25 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Aaron?
4,041 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Aaron (1.12 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Aaron born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is about 1 in 47. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 2 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Aaron.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Aaron?
About 559,800 people born in the US named Aaron are alive today, with a median age of 35; half are between 22 and 45. That makes Aaron mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Aaron by state
How common Aaron was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Delaware (1.9×), New Jersey (1.8×), California (1.7×), Nevada (1.7×), Florida (1.6×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Maine, Montana, North Dakota.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Aaron: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Aaron, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Aaron · Sibling names for Aaron
Questions about the name Aaron
What does Aaron mean?
The origin of Aaron is uncertain: Meaning unknown. Proposals include an Egyptian origin and Hebrew 'exalted' or 'mountain'.
How popular is the name Aaron?
Aaron was the 80th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 4,041 babies. Its best year was 1994, when it ranked 28th; the most babies were born in 1989 (15,308). Over the last ten years it has moved down 28 places. More babies were named Aaron in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Is Aaron a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Aaron in the US.
Where is Aaron most popular?
In 2021–2025, Aaron was most common in Delaware (4.81 per 1,000 boys), followed by New Jersey and California.