We all know that names like Jayden and Aiden are popular. But…how popular?
This weekend, my goal was to find out.
I sat down with the SSA’s baby name list for 2009, picked out all the -ayden names, and counted them. I counted both the number of variants and the number of babies with each variant.
Here’s a run-down of what I found, sorted by ending. (Get ready to scroll!)
-dan [8504 babies, 31 variants]
- -adan [1296]
- Adan, 1117
- Jadan, 59
- Bradan, 33
- Kadan, 33
- Aadan, 23
- Cadan, 20
- Zadan, 6
- Tadan, 5
- -aedan [390]
- Aedan, 255
- Braedan, 65
- Kaedan, 34
- Jaedan, 30
- Caedan, 6
- -aidan [5967]
- Aidan, 5749
- Jaidan, 81
- Kaidan, 67
- Caidan, 17
- Zaidan, 17
- Braidan, 13
- Haidan, 10
- Aaidan, 8
- Raidan, 5
- -aydan [851]
- Aydan, 396
- Jaydan, 246
- Braydan, 90
- Kaydan, 39
- Caydan, 32
- Zaydan, 23
- Haydan, 14
- Taydan, 6
- Raydan, 5
-den [85583 babies, 94 variants]
- -aden [17386]
- Jaden, 4111
- Kaden, 4021
- Caden, 3984
- Braden, 2017
- Aden, 1353
- Aaden, 1259
- Zaden, 155
- Haden, 129
- Bladen, 69
- Paden, 53
- Graden, 34
- Taden, 28
- Vaden, 20
- Xaden, 20
- Draden, 19
- Baden, 18
- Khaden, 18
- Shaden, 16
- Sladen, 11
- Jhaden, 9
- Breaden, 6
- Chaden, 6
- Daden, 6
- Jaaden, 6
- Keaden, 6
- Thaden, 6
- Traden, 6
- -aeden [1858]
- Braeden, 805
- Jaeden, 390
- Kaeden, 328
- Caeden, 148
- Aeden, 96
- Zaeden, 24
- Draeden, 18
- Graeden, 12
- Haeden, 12
- Raeden, 11
- Taeden, 7
- Traeden, 7
- -aiden [23390]
- Aiden, 15846
- Kaiden, 2276
- Jaiden, 2247
- Caiden, 1316
- Braiden, 556
- Raiden, 361
- Zaiden, 295
- Haiden, 225
- Aaiden, 76
- Xaiden, 48
- Laiden, 15
- Daiden, 14
- Draiden, 13
- Taiden, 13
- Khaiden, 12
- Blaiden, 10
- Baiden, 9
- Graiden, 9
- Paiden, 7
- Shaiden, 7
- Xhaiden, 7
- Naiden, 6
- Traiden, 6
- Yaiden, 6
- Gaiden, 5
- Jhaiden, 5
- -ayden [42949]
- Jayden, 17082
- Brayden, 8526
- Ayden, 4959
- Hayden, 4822
- Kayden, 2938
- Cayden, 2726
- Zayden, 741
- Rayden, 193
- Tayden, 165
- Drayden, 156
- Grayden, 132
- Aayden, 98
- Payden, 64
- Layden, 47
- Shayden, 43
- Blayden, 40
- Khayden, 29
- Trayden, 23
- Xayden, 22
- Slayden, 21
- Chayden, 19
- Thayden, 16
- Bayden, 15
- Dayden, 15
- Vayden, 14
- Jhayden, 13
- Wayden, 11
- Nayden, 10
- Clayden, 9
-din [1807 babies, 26 variants]
- -adin [575]
- Kadin, 255
- Adin, 157
- Jadin, 69
- Cadin, 42
- Aadin, 25
- Bradin, 20
- Zadin, 7
- -aedin [124]
- Jaedin, 50
- Kaedin, 34
- Braedin, 16
- Aedin, 15
- Caedin, 9
- -aidin [125]
- Aidin, 56
- Kaidin, 32
- Jaidin, 18
- Caidin, 10
- Zaidin, 9
- -aydin [983]
- Aydin, 380
- Jaydin, 278
- Braydin, 107
- Kaydin, 95
- Caydin, 44
- Zaydin, 32
- Haydin, 28
- Taydin, 12
- Raydin, 7
-dn [203 babies, 6 variants]
- -aydn [203]
- Haydn, 80
- Braydn, 45
- Jaydn, 34
- Kaydn, 29
- Aydn, 10
- Caydn, 5
-don [3479 babies, 37 variants]
- -adon [752]
- Jadon, 528
- Bradon, 60
- Kadon, 52
- Cadon, 29
- Adon, 27
- Aadon, 23
- Ladon, 9
- Gradon, 8
- Sheadon, 6
- Shadon, 5
- Zadon, 5
- -aedon [429]
- Braedon, 222
- Jaedon, 126
- Kaedon, 44
- Caedon, 27
- Aedon, 10
- -aidon [207]
- Jaidon, 94
- Aidon, 32
- Kaidon, 30
- Braidon, 23
- Caidon, 13
- Haidon, 8
- Raidon, 7
- -aydon [2091]
- Braydon, 1022
- Jaydon, 686
- Kaydon, 79
- Haydon, 76
- Graydon, 75
- Aydon, 45
- Caydon, 34
- Raydon, 16
- Zaydon, 15
- Paydon, 11
- Draydon, 9
- Shaydon, 9
- Taydon, 8
- Laydon, 6
-dun [6 babies, 1 variant]
- -aydun [6]
- Jaydun, 6
-dyn [3022 babies, 36 variants]
- -adyn [1284]
- Bradyn, 397
- Jadyn, 275
- Kadyn, 257
- Adyn, 104
- Cadyn, 83
- Aadyn, 76
- Hadyn, 31
- Zadyn, 26
- Gradyn, 24
- Khadyn, 6
- Keadyn, 5
- -aedyn [570]
- Braedyn, 172
- Jaedyn, 166
- Kaedyn, 109
- Aedyn, 45
- Caedyn, 36
- Haedyn, 15
- Zaedyn, 15
- Draedyn, 6
- Raedyn, 6
- -aidyn [931]
- Aidyn, 321
- Jaidyn, 273
- Kaidyn, 131
- Braidyn, 59
- Caidyn, 53
- Haidyn, 40
- Zaidyn, 39
- Raidyn, 10
- Xaidyn, 5
- -aydyn [237]
- Jaydyn, 89
- Aydyn, 40
- Haydyn, 32
- Braydyn, 31
- Kaydyn, 28
- Caydyn, 9
- Zaydyn, 8
-d*nn [87 babies, 7 variants]
- -aidenn [15]
- Aidenn, 15
- -aydenn [54]
- Jaydenn, 29
- Aydenn, 19
- Haydenn, 6
- -adynn [6]
- Jadynn, 6
- -aidynn [12]
- Aidynn, 6
- Jaidynn, 6
-dd*n [139 babies, 11 variants]
- -adden [71]
- Hadden, 22
- Jadden, 18
- Adden, 12
- Cadden, 8
- Kadden, 6
- Bradden, 5
- -aidden [28]
- Aidden, 21
- Jaidden, 7
- -aydden [17]
- Aydden, 12
- Jaydden, 5
- -addon [23]
- Haddon, 23
Other [162 babies, 18 variants]
- Aiyden, 37
- Jaiyden, 16
- Aodhan, 14
- Ayeden, 11
- Jahden, 11
- Aiydan, 8
- Ayedin, 6
- Breaden, 6
- Kaiyden, 6
- Keaden, 6
- Sheadon, 6
- Aiedan, 5
- Aieden, 5
- Aiiden, 5
- Jahyden, 5
- Jayeden, 5
- Jayhden, 5
- Keadyn, 5
Ok, ready to add these up?
| Ending | Babies | Variants |
|---|---|---|
| -dan | 8,504 | 31 |
| -den | 85,583 | 94 |
| -din | 1,807 | 26 |
| -dn | 203 | 6 |
| -don | 3,479 | 37 |
| -dun | 6 | 1 |
| -dyn | 3,022 | 36 |
| -d*nn | 87 | 7 |
| -dd*n | 139 | 11 |
| Other | 162 | 18 |
| TOTAL | 102,992 | 267 |
Of the (at least) 2,095,910 baby boys born last year, (at least) 102,992 were given an -ayden name. That’s over 4.9%–about 1 in 20.
Of the 14,404 boy names on the SSA’s list, 267 are -ayden names. That’s 1.9%–about 1 in 50.
Do these numbers surprise you?
Update: Wondering how many baby girls or how many babies overall received an -ayden name in 2009?
[Disclaimer: I’m assuming all of the variants above rhyme with Jayden, but I can’t make any guarantees about pronunciation. Also, I didn’t count the following: variants with 3 syllables, variants with 2-vowel endings (e.g. -dien, -deyn), variants that look like Eden and Madden, and (possible variants?) Ajdin and Dredin.]
UPDATE: Is the -Ayden Craze Over?