boy's name
Ayaan
ah-YAHN
- Origin Arabic
- Gender Boy
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 1000 (E&W)
- Births on record 21,540
the United States
#465
2025 births
Ayaan is a name with two distinct origins. In Arabic it means "time" or "era," from ayn; in Somali it is a well-established girl's name meaning "bright" or "lucky" — and both are in current use.
- Ayaan is a name of Arabic origin.
- Peaked in US records in 2025, when 686 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade in US records.
- Today about 1 in 1,189 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1995.
Ayaan over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1990s to 2020s. Ayaan is more popular in England and Wales — see the country table below. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1990s | 5 |
| 2000s | 1,112 |
| 2010s | 4,365 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 3,672 |
What Ayaan means
Ayaan means time or epoch in its Arabic reading. In Somali it means good fortune or brightness, and there it is overwhelmingly a girl's name.
Where Ayaan comes from
The Arabic Ayaan is read as a plural or intensive relating to time or an appointed hour, and in South Asian Muslim use it is often glossed further as God's gift, a reading that is popular rather than strictly linguistic. The Somali Ayaan is a separate name entirely, from a root for luck or fortune, and is common enough there that Ayaan Hirsi Ali is its best-known bearer. Because Somali usage is female and South Asian usage is male, the same spelling reaches Britain as two names of opposite gender, which is why our data classes it as it does.
Ayaan in use
Our data shows Ayaan peaking in 2025 and still rising, at 118 in England and Wales against 465 in the United States. It first appears in our records in 1995. The gender split by community is real and worth knowing before choosing it: in Somali families the name reads as female, in South Asian families as male.
How popular is Ayaan?
In 2025, Ayaan was given to 443 babies in England and Wales, ranking #118 that year. It is well established in England and Wales.
Where Ayaan is used
England and Wales figures withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year. The historical chart above uses US records, the only series running back to 1880. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Ayaan
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Ayaan also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Ayaan over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Ayaan 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.
- Arabic
- Ayan
Sibling names for Ayaan
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Ayaan — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Ayaan
What does the name Ayaan mean?
In Arabic, "time" or "era." In Somali it is a separate name meaning "bright" or "lucky."
Is Ayaan a boy's or a girl's name?
It depends on the community. South Asian Muslim families use it for boys; in Somali families it is a girl's name.
Does Ayaan mean gift of God?
That gloss is widely repeated in South Asian use but is not a strict derivation. The linguistic root relates to time.
How popular is the name Ayaan?
In 2025, Ayaan was given to 443 babies in England and Wales, ranking #118 that year. It is well established in England and Wales.
When was Ayaan most popular?
Ayaan peaked in 2025, when 686 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
Is Ayaan a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Ayaan currently ranks #118 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.