Declining since 1989, #80 for boys today.
Popularity of Aaron since 1880
Babies named Aaron per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1989, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Aaron's real moment was 1981.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 910 |
| 1890s | 830 |
| 1900s | 1,050 |
| 1910s | 4,570 |
| 1920s | 6,177 |
| 1930s | 4,727 |
| 1940s | 5,940 |
| 1950s | 11,141 |
| 1960s | 26,070 |
| 1970s | 101,487 |
| 1980s | 138,357 |
| 1990s | 128,377 |
| 2000s | 86,992 |
| 2010s | 70,488 |
| 2020s | 27,346 |
Meaning & origin
Aaron holds a peculiar distinction among major biblical names: nobody actually knows what it means. Traditional sources reach for Hebrew har, "mountain," and gloss it "exalted," while modern scholarship suspects the name is Egyptian, like Moses, fitting for brothers raised in Pharaoh's realm. What is certain is the pedigree: first high priest of Israel, continuously used by Jewish families for millennia, and revived among English Puritans centuries before it reached American shores.
Its American numbers describe a long, dignified plateau. Aaron has appeared in every year of Social Security data since 1880, surged through the 1970s to a 1981 peak, and has receded only gradually since 1989. In 2025 it still ranked 80th, given to about 1 in every 423 newborn boys, a name that has spent over a century without ever feeling either trendy or dated.
Geographically its strongest states are an odd trio, Delaware, Rhode Island, and Wyoming, suggesting broad, evenly spread use rather than a regional identity. With Aaron Judge chasing home-run history and Aaron Sorkin's scripts in constant rotation, the name stays current without any campaign on its behalf; the vowel-forward AIR-un sound also sits comfortably beside today's Aidens and Ashers.
Aaron is the English form of Hebrew Aharon, the name of Moses' elder brother, spokesman for his brother before Pharaoh and the first high priest of Israel. Its derivation is genuinely unsettled: traditional interpretations connect it to Hebrew har, "mountain," glossed as "high mountain" or "exalted," while many scholars suspect an Egyptian origin, as with Moses itself, the honest summary is that no one knows. The name passed into European use through the Bible, was borne by Jewish communities throughout the Middle Ages, and was taken up by English Puritans after the Reformation, arriving in America early. Present in United States records since 1880, it climbed sharply through the 1970s to a 1981 peak, the years around Hank Aaron's 1974 home-run record, and has drifted down gently since 1989.
Read more: Aaron on Wikipedia
Where Aaron is most popular
Births per 100,000 boys by state. Press play or drag the slider to watch it move across the decades. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
“Aaron” around the world
Where Aaron lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
#20
in 2024
Ireland
#71
in 2025
New Zealand
21
babies in 2025
Quebec
41
babies in 2025
Sources: INSEE (France) · CSO Ireland (Ireland) · NZ Dept of Internal Affairs (New Zealand) · Retraite Québec (Quebec).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Ari, Ron
Famous people named Aaron
- Aaron · biblical brother of Moses and first high priest of Israel
- Aaron Burr · third vice president of the United States
- Aaron Sorkin · screenwriter of The West Wing and The Social Network
- Aaron Judge · New York Yankees slugger and American League home-run record holder
Sibling names for Aaron
Names that share Aaron's style, for a brother or sister.
Sisters: Miriam, Hannah, Leah, Rachel, Abigail, Chana, Dinah, Hadassah, Precious, Tamar, Arica, Devorah, Elisheva, Hermon, Marah, Meriam, Myriam, Yocheved, Zipporah, Anetra, Errin, Miryam, Rifka, Rivkah, Saron, Sheba, Tzipporah, Danitra, Dannelle, Debarah, Deboraha, Elisheba, Jocabed, Leanda, Mirriam, Ramah, Sheina, Shoshannah, Sulamita, Jochebed, Myrian, Abiah, Caran, Chalisa, Chanah, Devory, Judeth, Kitara, Larren, Miria, Orpah, Tameia, Yehudit
Brothers: Ethan, Nathan, Caleb, Adam, Isaac, Jesse, Eleazar, Eliezer, Gerson, Job, Mose, Moses, Moshe, Omer, Rubin, Saul, Shimon, Solomon, Yehuda, Ammon, Amon, Eliazar, Enoc, Jafet, Jered, Mordecai, Sammuel, Yakov, Binyamin, Emon, Esaw, Gershon, Joab, Joash, Jotham, Karron, Pinchas, Reuel, Abron, Dorean, Ebon, Elieser, Garon, Gershom, Johanan, Manases, Amram, Moyses, Nussen, Selig, Solmon
Names like Aaron
Names whose popularity has moved with Aaron's over the last 50 years.
