Aire
A given name of Galician origin meaning "air" or "breeze".
Name Census estimates that about 68 living Americans carry the first name Aire. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 74.0% of registrations being male. The average person named Aire today is around 3 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Aire births was 2024 (42 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Aire. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Aire. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
68
~ 1 in 5,040,505 Americans
Peak year
2024
42 babies that year
Average age
3
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,386
Tracked since 1920
Gender
Gender distribution for Aire
Aire is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 73 total registrations, 54 (74.0%) were male and 19 (26.0%) were female.
Aire as a male name
- Ranked #3,386 in 2024
- 34 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (34 births)
Aire as a female name
- Ranked #11,095 in 2024
- 8 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (8 births)
Popularity
Aire: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Aire from the 1920s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 62 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Aire by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Aire during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Aires live
Origin
Meaning and history of Aire
The name Aire has its origins in the Celtic languages spoken in parts of Western Europe during the ancient and medieval periods. It is believed to be derived from the Proto-Celtic word *ar-yo, which means "to plow" or "to cultivate". This suggests that the name may have been associated with agricultural and farming communities.
In ancient Gaelic and Brittonic cultures, the name Aire was often used as a title or term of respect for men who held positions of authority or leadership within their communities. It was sometimes used to refer to chieftains, landowners, or those who held judicial or advisory roles.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Aire can be found in the Annals of Ulster, an ancient chronicle that documents events in Ireland from the 5th to the 16th centuries. The annals mention an individual named Aire mac Cruithne, who is believed to have lived in the 5th or 6th century and was a prominent figure in the Kingdom of Dál Riata, which spanned parts of western Scotland and northeastern Ireland.
In the 9th century, an Irish monk and scholar named Aire of Clonard gained recognition for his contributions to the preservation and study of ancient Celtic literature and religious texts. He is credited with establishing a renowned monastic school in Clonard, which attracted students from across Europe.
During the Middle Ages, the name Aire was also used in parts of France and Spain, possibly brought by Celtic tribes that migrated to those regions. One notable figure was Aire of Barcelona, a Catalan count who ruled the County of Barcelona from 939 to 966 AD.
In the 12th century, a Scottish nobleman named Aire Mac Gille Adhaimh is recorded as having been a prominent supporter of King William the Lion of Scotland. He played a significant role in the political and military affairs of the kingdom during that time.
Another historical figure with the name Aire was an Irish bard and poet named Aire O'Donnell, who lived in the 16th century and is known for his contributions to the preservation of Irish literary traditions.
While the name Aire has become less common in modern times, it serves as a reminder of the rich cultural heritage and historical significance of Celtic languages and societies in Western Europe.
People
Aire + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Aire as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Aire: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Aire?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 68 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Aire going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 5,040,505 US residents.
Is Aire a common name?
We classify Aire as "Very Rare". It ranks above 58.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 73 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Aire most popular?
The single biggest year for Aire was 2024, when 42 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Aire is about 3 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Aire in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Aire a male name?
Yes, 74.0% of people registered as Aire in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Aire still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Aire in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Aire can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are called Aire?
You can see how many people have the name Aire on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.