Aaron

Definition

In the Bible Aaron is the brother of Moses and is the first High Priest of the Israelites who is traditionally regarded as the founder of the Jewish priesthood. There have been many attempts to explain the meaning of his name, including deriving it from Hebrew terms for "high mountain" and "brightness", but none of them are convincing. Most probably Aaron's name, like his brother's, was Egyptian in origin, and its meaning is lost. It has been popular in the English-speaking world for a number of years, and as a result has developed numerous variants, as well two different pronunciations. The traditional English pronunciation marks the "aa" at the beginning by pronouncing them as in the word "air"; but younger users tend to ignore the double a and start the name with the same sound as in "and".

This has in turn led to the loss of the distinctive spelling, so that Aron and Arron are now quite common forms, while even Erin (not to be confused with the girl's name) and Ehren, reflecting yet another pronunciation, are found in the United States. These variant forms can overlap with other names with similar sounds so that for example in Wales, where Aron is the traditional Welsh spelling, Aran is a boy's name taken from a place name meaning "high place". There is also overlap with the names Arran and Arun. Ron and Ronnie are used as pet forms of the name. The name appears in Arabic as Haroun or Harun.Aaron was rarely used before the Reformation, but was taken up by the Puritans, which means it was well used by early settlers in America, where it entered the traditional stock of names. As a result it is more likely to be found as the name of a number of prominent Americans than elsewhere: Aaron Burr (1758–1836), vice-president and duellist; and the musician Aaron Copland (1900–1990) being two examples. Elvis Presley was given the middle name Aaron, but preferred to spell it Aron, thus adding to the confusion that surrounds the name.

Sex

Boys

Similar names

Aran, Aron, Arron, Ehren, Haroun, Harun, Ron

Naming Your Baby
Copyright © 2007 Julia Cresswell