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At a Glance: Name: Aiken – Meaning: roughly 'little Adam' (a diminutive/patronymic surname built on Adam) – Origin: English/Irish (surname) – Gender: primarily used for boys – Pronunciation: AY-kin
Aiken comes from an English and Irish surname tradition, built as a diminutive or patronymic form of Adam — so it reads roughly as 'little Adam.' Rather than being invented for sound alone, it carries a traceable family-naming origin, which is worth knowing if you like names with a documented backstory. It's a quiet, surname-style option rather than a currently trendy pick.
Meaning & Origin of Aiken
Meaning: Roughly 'little Adam' (a diminutive/patronymic surname built on Adam).
Origin: English/Irish (surname).
Source: Wiktionary.
How to Pronounce Aiken
Phonetic: AY-kin IPA: /ˈeɪkɪn/
Popularity of Aiken
SSA records for Aiken stretch from 1920 to 2024, and the name has stayed essentially flat the whole time: it hit its peak at #3877 in 1921 with 6 babies given the name, and in 2024 it sat at #10944, still with just 6 babies — a full century with barely any change in how often it's chosen.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1920–2024.
Make Aiken Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Aiken, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Aiken mean?
Roughly ‘little Adam’ (a diminutive/patronymic surname built on Adam). (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Aiken)
How do you pronounce Aiken?
Aiken is pronounced AY-kin (IPA: /ˈeɪkɪn/).
Is Aiken a popular name right now?
Aiken peaked at #3877 in 1921 and is ranked #10944 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1920–2024.)
📊 How popular is Aiken? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
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