Aiden vs Donovan
Aiden and Donovancompared 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Aiden was ranked #145 and Donovan #1595 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2013, Aiden was ranked #188 and Donovan #398 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Aiden was ranked #207 and Donovan #785 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Aiden and Donovan over time
Aiden and Donovan appear together in 1 published list, across 29 years of shared records. Aiden held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Donovan in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Donovan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Aiden in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
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.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Aiden held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Donovan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Aiden #61 in 2011, Donovan #654 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Aiden #145, Donovan #1595.
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 | Aiden | Donovan |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| 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 #149 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #785 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Aiden has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Donovan.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Aiden
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #94 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1999–2024
Highest recorded position: #33 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2010 (recorded 1999–2024).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #301 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Donovan
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #654 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded1998–2013
Highest recorded position: #272 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 1998 (recorded 1998–2013).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1595 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys