Aidan rhyming trend

The Aidan rhyming trend (pronunciation to rhyme with [eːdən]), is a trend in male and female given names in the United States in the late 1990s and 2000s.^[1] They are also referred to as -aden names. A few of these names, especially Jaden, Hayden and Caden, are used to a lesser extent on females. As many as 4% of babies born in 2006 were given names rhyming with Aidan. When taking slant rhymes, like Payton, into account, that number increases to 5%.

Examples and Etymology

Aidan is the anglicized form of Aodhán, which is an Irish Gaelic name meaning "fire". Common respellings include Aiden, Ayden, Aden, Adan and Aydin. The forename Hayden is derived from the Old English elements heg (hay) and denu (valley). ^[2] The common respelling Haydn may be influenced by the classical composer of the same name, Joseph Haydn, even though the composer's name carries a different pronunciation. ^[3] Braden is derived from the Irish surname Ó Bradáin, meaning "descendant of Bradán," which in turn is derived from a Gaelic word meaning "salmon." ^[4] Common respellings include Brayden, Braeden, and Bradan. ^[5] Jaden is possibly derived from the biblical name Jadon.^[6], or may also be an elaboration of Jay or Jason. Common respellings include Jayden, Jaiden, Jadon and Jaydin. ^[7] Other variants, such as Zayden and Traden, may be new forms created for their novelty or rhyme.

Popularity

The five names Aidan, Brayden, Caden, Hayden and Jayden appeared on the Social Security Administration's Top 1000 popular baby names list, along with many variant spellings. ^[8] The most popular forms of the -aden names are Aidan at 54th most popular, Jayden at 74th, Hayden at 89th, Brayden at 110th and Caden at 122nd. Combining spelling variants boosts Aidan to number 1 on the SSI Top 1000 popular baby names list. Jayden becomes 15th, and Caden becomes 22nd.^[9] Celebrity uses of the forename Jayden include Jada Pinkett-Smith and Will Smith's first child, Jaden Christopher Syre, born on July 8, 1998, and Britney Spears's second child, Jayden James Federline, born on September 12, 2006. The forename Hayden is well known due to actors Hayden Panettiere and Hayden Christensen.

References

1. ^ Wattenburg, Laura. Age of Aidans, Baby Name Wizard, May 12, 2005.
2. ^ http://www.behindthename.com/name/hayden
3. ^ http://www.parenting.com/parenting/pregnancy/tools/babynamer/results/0,20081,HAYDEN__M,00.html,00.html
4. ^ http://www.behindthename.com/name/braden
5. ^ Popular Baby Names. Social Security Administration. May 11 2007.
6. ^ http://www.behindthename.com/name/jaden
7. ^ Popular Baby Names. Social Security Administration. May 11 2007.
8. ^ Popular Baby Names. Social Security Administration. May 11 2007.
9. ^ Name Statistics^{[unreliable source?]}