Aedan

The spelling of Áedán is the most ancient Irish-Gaelic spelling of Aidan in circulation today. In fact, the modern day Aidan was derived from Aodhán which itself came from Áedán, from the ancient Irish “Áed” meaning “fire” plus the Irish diminutive suffix “-án” (therefore Áedán essentially means “little fire”. In Irish mythology, Áed was the ancient god of fire and the underworld. Áedán, Aodhán and Aidan were names borne by several medieval High Kings of Ireland as well as a couple important early Irish saints. The older Gaelic version of Áedán was relatively common during Antiquity and the early Middle Ages before being replaced with the more modern spellings of Aodhán and Aidan. Probably the most famous, Áedán mac Gabráin, was a 6th century King of Dál Riata (western coast of Scotland where the Gaels eventually overtook the Picts). Although he amassed a great army and often provoked battles with neighboring Ireland and England, he was ultimately defeated by the Anglo-Saxon King of Northumbria in the early 7th century. Áedán of Ferns is also a notable 6th/7th century Irish saint and first bishop of Ferns. According to legend, when there was no boat available to take the baby Áedán across a lake for his baptism, the child miraculously floated on a slab of stone into the hands of St. Kilian who performed the baptism himself. The spelling of Aiden is the most common in the United States, but Aidan is considered the proper and most popular spelling in Ireland and Northern Ireland (although the Northern Irish still use the more ancient variation of Aodhán with some frequency). Áedán could be considered the ultimate and most ancient form of Aidan, although we suspect most American parents are unaware of this fact. Rather, it was more likely and arbitrarily developed as yet another of the many spelling variations on the U.S. charts today.