Aaron: Name Meaning, Origin, Popularity, & Inspiration

Boy name origins & meanings

Hebrew : Shining light
Arabic : Messenger

What does Aaron mean and stand for?

The name Aaron's origin is debated. Some believe it is of Hebrew origin meaning "high mountain; exalted, enlightened" and others state it is of Arabic origin and means "messenger". The Hebrew version is Aharon, Aaran in Yiddish, and Haroun or Harun in Arabic.

Syllables: 2

Boy name variations

Family name origins & meanings

Mainly Jewish : from the Biblical Hebrew personal name Aharon, which was borne by the first high priest of the Israelites, the brother of Moses (Exodus 4:14). Like Moses, it is probably of Egyptian origin, with a meaning no longer recoverable. In some countries Aaron was also a gentile personal name; not all occurrences of the surname are Jewish.

Famous people who gave their babies this name

Larry Mullen

Robert De Niro

Popularity

According to Social Security Administration data, Aaron has been consistently popular, just recently falling from the top 60 in 2019 for the first time since 2000. Though slowly declining, Aaron remains in the top 100.

However, it is the 66th most popular name on FamilyEducation.com.

According to Google search data analysis, in the last five years Aaron was at its peak popularity in April 2017.

Aaron is the first High Priest of the Israelites and brother of Moses in the Old Testament. The name has been in the top 100 for nearly a century, constantly rising in popularity. The name has also been a popular choice for writers, appearing in works by Shakespeare, James Fenimore Cooper and George Eliot. Celebrities that hold the name include Aaron Burr, composer Aaron Copland, Aaron Eckhart, and Aaron Paul. The name also invokes the memory of Key and Peele's skit of mispronouncing names.