Aaron

See also: Aarón and Aäron

English

Etymology

From Latin Aaron, from Ancient Greek Ἀαρών (Aarṓn), from Hebrew אַהֲרֹן (ʾAhărōn), of unknown meaning, possibly meaning “bearer of martyrs”, or perhaps also, or instead, related to the Ancient Egyptian ꜥḥꜣ rw (“warrior lion”), though it has been suggested to also mean “elevated”, “exalted” or “high mountain”. Doublet of Harun.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈɛɹ.ən/, /ˈæɹ.ən/

  • Audio (US):

    (file)

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈæɹ.ən/, /ˈɛə.ɹən/
• Rhymes: -ɛɹən, -æɹən
• Homophones: Aran, Arin, Arran, Arun, Erin (in some pronunciations)

note on the pronunciation

The Hebrew etymon of Aaron, אהרן, was pronounced /ahăron/; it was transliterated into Greek as Ἀαρών (Aarṓn) (/aaron/), and into Latin as Aaron. In Ecclesiastical Latin, the name was and is pronounced with two separate a sounds.

The pronunciation of the aa as a single sound, /ˈɛəɹən/, /ˈɛɹən/, /ˈæɹən/, originated when the Bible was anglicised, hence modern guides to the pronunciation of Biblical names, including those of the Church of England, the BBC, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Oxford English Dictionary, and Harper Collins specify the modern English pronunciation as /ɛəɹən/, where the first syllable sounds like the word air.

The variant form Aron (see Wikipedia) derives from the same Hebrew root, but via Scandinavian and/or Celtic languages; it is pronounced /ærən/ (like the unrelated but homophonous Celtic names Aran and Arran), for which reason Aaron is sometimes pronounced that way, too.

Proper noun

Aaron (plural Aarons)

2. (biblical) The elder brother of Moses in the Book of the Exodus, and in the Quran.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Exodus 4:14:

     And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses, and hee said, Is not Aaron the Leuite thy brother? I know that he can speake well.

3. A male given name from Hebrew.
   • 1969, Philip Roth, Portnoy's Complaint, Random House, published 2002, page 145:

     - - - the Junior Prom with boys whose names are right out of the grade-school reader, not Aaron and Arnold and Marvin, but Johnny and Billy and Jimmy and Tod. Not Portnoy or Pincus, but Smith and Jones and Brown!

4. A surname transferred from the given name.

Usage notes

• The given name was exclusively Jewish in the Middle Ages, taken up by Gentiles in the 17th century, and popular among both at the end of the 20th century.

Derived terms

• Aaronic
• Aaronid
• Aaronite
• Aaron's beard
• Aaron's bells
• Aaron's rod
• Aaron's serpent

 

Related terms

• (nonstandard spellings of given name) Aaren, Aron, Arron
• (patronymic surname of given name) Aaronson

Translations

biblical brother of Moses

• Arabic: هَارُون (ar) m (hārūn)
• Armenian: Ահարոն (Aharon)
• Bengali: হারূন (bn) (harūn)
• Burmese: အာရုန် (arun)
• Catalan: Aaró (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 亞倫／亚伦 (zh) (Yàlún)

• Coptic: ⲁⲁⲣⲱⲛ (aarōn)
• Danish: Aron
• Dutch: Aäron (nl)
• Estonian: Aaron (et)
• Finnish: Aaron (fi)
• French: Aaron (fr)

  Old French: Aaron

• German: Aaron (de)
• Gothic: 𐌰𐌷𐌰𐍂𐍉𐌽 m (aharōn)
• Greek: Ααρών (el) m (Aarón)

  Ancient: Ἀαρών m (Aarṓn)

• Hausa: Haruna
• Hebrew: אַהֲרֹן m (’Ahărōn)
• Irish: Árón m
• Italian: Aronne (it) m
• Kazakh: Һарұн (Harūn)
• Korean: 아론 (Aron)
• Malay: Harun
• Maltese: Aron m
• Maore Comorian: Haruna
• Maori: Arona
• Ngazidja Comorian: Haruna
• Norwegian: Aron (no)
• Ottoman Turkish: هَارُون
• Polish: Aaron (pl) m
• Portuguese: Aarão (pt) m
• Russian: Ааро́н (ru) m (Aarón)
• Serbo-Croatian: Aron (sh) m
• Spanish: Aarón (es) m
• Swedish: Aron (sv)
• Thai: แอรอน
• Tibetan: ཨ་རོན m (a ron)
• Turkish: Harun (tr), Arun, Ârun

male given name

• Arabic: هَارُون (ar) (hārūn)
• Armenian: Ահարոն (Aharon)
• Bengali: হারূন (bn) (harūn)
• Catalan: Aaró (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 亞倫／亚伦 (zh) (Yàlún)

• Danish: Aron
• Dutch: Aäron (nl)
• Estonian: Aaron (et)
• Faroese: Áron m
• Finnish: Aaro (fi)
• French: Aaron (fr)
• Galician: Aarón (gl)
• German: Aaron (de)
• Greek: Ααρών (el) (Aarón)
• Hausa: Haruna
• Hawaiian: ʻĀʻālona
• Hebrew: אַהֲרֹן (’Ahărōn)
• Hungarian: Áron (hu)
• Indonesian: Harun
• Irish: Árón, Aaron
• Italian: Aronne (it)
• Kazakh: Арон (Aron)
• Latin: Aaron
• Lithuanian: Aronas m
• Malay: Harun
• Maltese: Aronn
• Maori: Ārona
• Norwegian: Aron (no)
• Polish: Aaron (pl)
• Portuguese: Aarão (pt)
• Russian: Ааро́н (ru) (Aarón)
• Serbo-Croatian: Aron (sh) m
• Spanish: Aarón (es)
• Swedish: Aron (sv)
• Turkish: Harun (tr), Arun
• Yiddish: אהרן (arn)

Noun

Aaron (plural Aarons)

1. (archaic, thieves' cant) The leader of a group of thieves.

Synonyms

• See Thesaurus:criminal leader

Anagrams

• Roana

Catalan

Alternative forms

• Aaró

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [ə.əˈɾon]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [a.aˈɾon]

Proper noun

Aaron m

1. a male given name from Hebrew, equivalent to English Aaron

Estonian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɑːron/, [ˈɑːron]

Proper noun

Aaron

1. Aaron (biblical figure)
2. a male given name from Hebrew, equivalent to English Aaron

Finnish

Etymology

Ultimately from Ancient Greek Ἀαρών (Aarṓn), from Biblical Hebrew אַהֲרֹן (ʾAhărōn).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɑːron/, [ˈɑ̝ːro̞n]
• Rhymes: -ɑːron
• Syllabification^(key): Aa‧ron

Proper noun

Aaron

1. Aaron (biblical figure)
2. a male given name from Biblical Hebrew, equivalent to English Aaron

Declension

Inflection of Aaron (Kotus type 6/paperi, no gradation)
nominative		Aaron	Aaronit
genitive		Aaronin	Aaronien Aaroneiden Aaroneitten
partitive		Aaronia	Aaroneita Aaroneja
illative		Aaroniin	Aaroneihin
		singular	plural
nominative		Aaron	Aaronit
accusative	nom.	Aaron	Aaronit
	gen.	Aaronin
genitive		Aaronin	Aaronien Aaroneiden Aaroneitten
partitive		Aaronia	Aaroneita Aaroneja
inessive		Aaronissa	Aaroneissa
elative		Aaronista	Aaroneista
illative		Aaroniin	Aaroneihin
adessive		Aaronilla	Aaroneilla
ablative		Aaronilta	Aaroneilta
allative		Aaronille	Aaroneille
essive		Aaronina	Aaroneina
translative		Aaroniksi	Aaroneiksi
abessive		Aaronitta	Aaroneitta
instructive		—	Aaronein
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of Aaron (Kotus type 6/paperi, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Aaronini Aaronini accusative nom. Aaronini Aaronini gen. Aaronini genitive Aaronini Aaronieni Aaroneideni Aaroneitteni partitive Aaroniani Aaroneitani Aaronejani inessive Aaronissani Aaroneissani elative Aaronistani Aaroneistani illative Aaroniini Aaroneihini adessive Aaronillani Aaroneillani ablative Aaroniltani Aaroneiltani allative Aaronilleni Aaroneilleni essive Aaroninani Aaroneinani translative Aaronikseni Aaroneikseni abessive Aaronittani Aaroneittani instructive — — comitative — Aaroneineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Aaronisi Aaronisi accusative nom. Aaronisi Aaronisi gen. Aaronisi genitive Aaronisi Aaroniesi Aaroneidesi Aaroneittesi partitive Aaroniasi Aaroneitasi Aaronejasi inessive Aaronissasi Aaroneissasi elative Aaronistasi Aaroneistasi illative Aaroniisi Aaroneihisi adessive Aaronillasi Aaroneillasi ablative Aaroniltasi Aaroneiltasi allative Aaronillesi Aaroneillesi essive Aaroninasi Aaroneinasi translative Aaroniksesi Aaroneiksesi abessive Aaronittasi Aaroneittasi instructive — — comitative — Aaroneinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Aaronimme Aaronimme accusative nom. Aaronimme Aaronimme gen. Aaronimme genitive Aaronimme Aaroniemme Aaroneidemme Aaroneittemme partitive Aaroniamme Aaroneitamme Aaronejamme inessive Aaronissamme Aaroneissamme elative Aaronistamme Aaroneistamme illative Aaroniimme Aaroneihimme adessive Aaronillamme Aaroneillamme ablative Aaroniltamme Aaroneiltamme allative Aaronillemme Aaroneillemme essive Aaroninamme Aaroneinamme translative Aaroniksemme Aaroneiksemme abessive Aaronittamme Aaroneittamme instructive — — comitative — Aaroneinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Aaroninne Aaroninne accusative nom. Aaroninne Aaroninne gen. Aaroninne genitive Aaroninne Aaronienne Aaroneidenne Aaroneittenne partitive Aaronianne Aaroneitanne Aaronejanne inessive Aaronissanne Aaroneissanne elative Aaronistanne Aaroneistanne illative Aaroniinne Aaroneihinne adessive Aaronillanne Aaroneillanne ablative Aaroniltanne Aaroneiltanne allative Aaronillenne Aaroneillenne essive Aaroninanne Aaroneinanne translative Aaroniksenne Aaroneiksenne abessive Aaronittanne Aaroneittanne instructive — — comitative — Aaroneinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative Aaroninsa Aaroninsa accusative nom. Aaroninsa Aaroninsa gen. Aaroninsa genitive Aaroninsa Aaroniensa Aaroneidensa Aaroneittensa partitive Aaroniaan Aaroniansa Aaroneitaan Aaronejaan Aaroneitansa Aaronejansa inessive Aaronissaan Aaronissansa Aaroneissaan Aaroneissansa elative Aaronistaan Aaronistansa Aaroneistaan Aaroneistansa illative Aaroniinsa Aaroneihinsa adessive Aaronillaan Aaronillansa Aaroneillaan Aaroneillansa ablative Aaroniltaan Aaroniltansa Aaroneiltaan Aaroneiltansa allative Aaronilleen Aaronillensa Aaroneilleen Aaroneillensa essive Aaroninaan Aaroninansa Aaroneinaan Aaroneinansa translative Aaronikseen Aaroniksensa Aaroneikseen Aaroneiksensa abessive Aaronittaan Aaronittansa Aaroneittaan Aaroneittansa instructive — — comitative — Aaroneineen Aaroneinensa

Proper noun

Aaron

1. genitive singular of Aaro

Derived terms

compounds

• aaroninparta
• aaroninsauva

 

Statistics

• Aaron is the 181^st most common male given name in Finland, belonging to 3,368 male individuals (and as a middle name to 3,832 more), and also belongs to 6 female individuals (and as a middle name to 8 more), according to February 2023 data from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency of Finland.

Anagrams

• Aarno, arona, oraan, orana

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a.a.ʁɔ̃/

• Audio:

  (file)

Proper noun

Aaron m

1. Aaron (biblical figure)
2. a male given name from Hebrew, equivalent to English Aaron

German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈʔaːʀɔn], [ˈaːʁɔn]

• Audio:

  (file)

Proper noun

Aaron m (proper noun, strong, genitive Aarons)

1. (biblical characters) Aaron
2. a male given name from Hebrew, equivalent to English Aaron

Related terms

• Aron

Latin

Alternative forms

• Ārōn, Aharōn

Etymology

From Biblical Hebrew אַהֲרֹן (ʾAhărōn).

Pronunciation

• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈa.a.ron/, [ˈäːäron]

Proper noun

Aarōn m sg (variously declined, genitive Aarōn or Aarōnis); indeclinable, third declension

1. (Ecclesiastical Latin) Aaron (biblical figure)
   • 207 CE – 208 CE, Tertullian, Adversus Marcionem 22.15:

     In qua facie ad faciem visibilem se ei repromiserat, etiam ad Aaronem dicens […]

     He promised that he would be visible to him face to face, even saying to Aaron […]

Declension

Indeclinable noun or third-declension noun, singular only.

Case	Singular
Nominative	Aarōn
Genitive	Aarōn Aarōnis
Dative	Aarōn Aarōnī
Accusative	Aarōn Aarōnem
Ablative	Aarōn Aarōne
Vocative	Aarōn

Descendants

• → Catalan: Aaró, Aaron
• → Chinese: 亞倫／亚伦 (Yàlún, Yǎlún)
• → Danish: Aron
  • → Greenlandic: Aalut
• → Dutch: Aäron
• → English: Aaron
• → Estonian: Aaron
• → Faroese: Aron
• → Finnish: Aaron, Aron
• → French: Aaron
• → German: Aaron
• → Hungarian: Áron
• → Icelandic: Aron
• → Irish: Árón
• → Italian: Aronne
• → Korean: 아론 (Aron)
• → Lithuanian: Aronas
• → Maltese: Aronn
• → Maori: Arona
• → Northern Sami: Áron
• → Norwegian: Aron
• → Polish: Aaron
• → Portuguese: Aarão
• → Russian: Ааро́н (Aarón), Аро́н (Arón)
  • → Kazakh: Арон (Aron)
• → Spanish: Aarón
• → Swedish: Aron

Further reading

• “Aaron”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• Aaron in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• “Aaron”, in ΛΟΓΕΙΟΝ [Logeion] Dictionaries for Ancient Greek and Latin (in English, French, Spanish, German, Dutch and Chinese), University of Chicago, since 2011

Malay

Etymology

From English Aaron, from Latin Aaron, from Ancient Greek Ἀαρών (Aarṓn), from Hebrew אַהֲרֹן (ʾAhărōn). Doublet of Harun.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɛ.rən]
• Rhymes: -rən, -ən
• Hyphenation: Aa‧ron

Proper noun

Aaron (Jawi spelling ايرن)

1. A male given name from English.

Old English

Etymology

From Latin Aarōn, from Biblical Hebrew אַהֲרֹן (Ahărōn).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɑːˈɑ.roːn/

Proper noun

Āarōn m

1. (biblical) Aaron
   • c. 1050, Old English Hexateuch, Deuteronomy 9:20

     He wæs yrre wiþ Aaron and wolde hine fordon and ic gebæd for hyne

     And the Lord was very angry with Aaron and would have destroyed him; so I prayed for Aaron also at the same time.