boy's name
Aaron
AIR-un
- Origin Hebrew
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 100 (US)
- Births on record 739,303
the United States
#80
2025 births
Aaron is a boy's name of Hebrew origin whose meaning is not established. Reference sources give "mountain of strength," "exalted" and "lightbringer," but scholars generally treat the name as pre-Hebrew, most likely Egyptian, with its sense lost.
- Aaron is a name of Hebrew origin.
- Peaked in 1989, when 15,407 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 817 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Aaron over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 910 |
| 1890s | 830 |
| 1900s | 1,050 |
| 1910s | 4,592 |
| 1920s | 6,222 |
| 1930s | 4,757 |
| 1940s | 5,984 |
| 1950s | 11,229 |
| 1960s | 26,285 |
| 1970s | 102,569 |
| 1980s | 139,788 |
| 1990s | 129,209 |
| 2000s | 87,334 |
| 2010s | 70,686 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 27,412 |
What Aaron means
Aaron has no recoverable meaning. The glosses in circulation — mountain of strength, exalted, enlightened — are attempts to read Hebrew roots into a name that probably was not Hebrew to begin with.
Where Aaron comes from
Aaron comes from the Hebrew Aharon, and its origin is genuinely unresolved. Attempts to derive it from Hebrew roots produce mountain, exalted or teacher, none convincingly. Many scholars instead consider it Egyptian, which fits the narrative context: Aaron is Moses's brother in Exodus, born in Egypt, and several names in that account are Egyptian rather than Hebrew — Moses itself among them. Aaron becomes the first high priest of Israel and the ancestor of the priestly line, so the name carries substantial weight in Jewish tradition regardless of its etymology. It entered English use after the Reformation.
Aaron in use
Aaron and Moses both appear to carry Egyptian rather than Hebrew names, which fits the setting of the Exodus narrative.
How popular is Aaron?
In 2025, Aaron was given to 4,058 babies in the United States, ranking #80 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Where Aaron is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
How Aaron is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Aarôn | Aarôn is a rare spelling of Aaron, written with a circumflex and recorded about 15 times, mostly in France. | 15 |
| Aäron | Aäron is a rare spelling of Aaron, written with a diaeresis and recorded about 10 times, mostly in France. | 10 |
| Aarön | Aarön is a rare spelling of Aaron, written with a diaeresis and recorded about 5 times, mostly in France. | 5 |
Names that peaked alongside Aaron
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Aaron also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Aaron over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Aaron
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Aaron in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Aaron
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Aaron — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Aaron
What does the name Aaron mean?
Its meaning is not established. Sources offer "mountain of strength" and "exalted," but the name is probably Egyptian in origin with its sense lost.
Who was Aaron in the Bible?
Moses's brother and the first high priest of Israel, ancestor of the priestly line.
Why do sources disagree about Aaron?
Because attempts to find a Hebrew root are unconvincing, and the name is more likely a pre-Hebrew borrowing.
How popular is the name Aaron?
In 2025, Aaron was given to 4,058 babies in the United States, ranking #80 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Is Aaron a girl's or a boy's name?
Aaron is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Aaron?
Aaron has 2 syllables.
When was Aaron most popular?
Aaron peaked in 1989, when 15,407 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Aaron?
Aaron is usually shortened to Ron.
Is Aaron a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Aaron currently ranks #20 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.