Aaron vs Don
Aaron and Doncompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 1997, Aaron was ranked #11 and Don #271 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2019, Aaron was ranked #33 and Don #764 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Aaron was ranked #154 and Don #2443 among boys in England and Wales.
Aaron and Don over time
Aaron and Don appear together in 2 published lists, across 59 years of shared records. Aaron held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Don in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1969, Aaron moved ahead of Don in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #222 and #207 the year before became #174 and #246.
- Longest-running competitions
Aaron and Don were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 31 years, from 1965 to 2019, ending at #33 and #764.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys31 shared years, 1965–2019
Aaron held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Don in 1.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #9 in 1997, Don #187 in 1979.
The order changed in 1969: Aaron moved ahead. In 1968 they stood at #222 and #207; by 1969 that had become #174 and #246.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Aaron #33, Don #764.
England and Wales · Boys28 shared years, 1996–2024
Aaron held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Don in 0.
Highest recorded here: Aaron #31 in 1998, Don #1299 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Aaron #154, Don #2443.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Aaron | Don |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Best known as the name of Moses's elder brother and the first high priest of Israel in the Old Testament; the literal meaning of the name itself is not reliably established. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew (likely of Egyptian origin) | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛrən/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #71 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #2443 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Aaron has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew (likely of Egyptian origin)); Don does not have one recorded yet.
- Aaron has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Don.
- A meaning is recorded for Aaron; Don doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Aaron
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #222 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1965–2025
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1998 (recorded 1965–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #334 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Don
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #207 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1965–2019
Highest recorded position: #187 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1979 (recorded 1965–2019).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2443 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys