Boy's name
Aodhán
“AY-dawn”
'little fire' — a diminutive of Aodh
Why it is said that way
Aodh on its own is just AY, because the dh says nothing. Add the ending and you get AY-dawn.
- dh, gh → silent, or a soft y at the start
- ao → ee, or ay in Munster
- á é í ó ú (the fada) → a long vowel — and never optional
The story behind the name
St Aidan of Lindisfarne left Iona in 635 to convert Northumbria and is remembered as the apostle of the English north — one of the many Irish monks whose names are commoner in England than at home. The spelling Aiden is now among the most popular boys' names in the United States.
Meanings follow Ó Corráin & Maguire's Irish Names and Woulfe; pronunciations give the commonest Irish-English form. Know this name better — a dialect pronunciation, a family tradition? Tell us. · All Irish names A–Z