The baby name Aryton combines surname style with an on-trend sound.

Thanks to Kenneth for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.

AYRTON SENNA

Let’s start with the most famous bearer of the name: Ayrton Senna, one of the most successful Formula One drivers of recent decades.

Senna was born in Brazil, a bastion of creative and daring baby names.

He won three Formula One world championships before dying in an accident during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.

A 2010 documentary made in his native Brazil recounted his career and tragic death.

He remains a national hero. Instituto Ayrton Senna is a charity supporting children and youth in Brazil in his memory. 

WHAT DOES AYRTON MEAN?

Where did Senna get his unusual first name?

It’s not clear, though we know that Ayrton is a last name.

It could be a cousin to Ayer and Ayers, from the word heir, ultimately from the Latin heredum. An heir is one expected to inherit property, a title, or both.

And then there’s Ayr, the Scottish place name. Ayr is a town in Ayrshire, Scotland. Other spellings include Are, Aire, Ayre and Eyre – as in Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre. The town takes its name from the River Ayr, and the river’s name is thought to come from either a Gaelic word meaning clear, or possibly Old Norse origins. There’s a River Aire in Yorkshire, with similarly debated origins and meaning.

JULES VERNE’S TOM AYRTON

Jules Verne’s In Search of the Castaways, published in 1873, included a character called Tom Ayrton. He’s the villain of the piece. Tom also appears in Verne’s 1874 novel The Mysterious Island. 

In 1962, Disney adapted Castaways as a musical starring Haley Mills. It was successful, raising the question – did some parents discover Ayrton through the books or their adaptations?

The popularity of Ayrton is down to the phenomenal success, and tragic loss, of the race car driver.

HOW IS AYRTON PRONOUNCED?

In English, this name takes a two syllable pronunciation: AIR ton. But Senna said his name more like ah EER ton.

BIG IN BRAZIL

Senna also isn’t the first Brazilian to wear the name. Footballer Ayrton Andrioli was born in 1965, well before Senna.

Other notable men by the name were born in the 1980s, just as Senna’s career was taking off:

  • Malta-born footballer Ayrton Azzopardi was born in 1983.
  • Another Brazilian bearer of the name was also a footballer: Ayrton Ganino, born in 1985.
  • Lastly, Italian race car driver Ayrton Bandovini, was born in 1986.

And then there’s Gary dos Santos. Until recently, dos Santos was known as the Mayor of Strawberry Fields, the man who served as the unofficial greeter at the John Lennon “Imagine” memorial in Central Park. Gary dos Santos was born in the 1960s as Ayrton dos Santos, Jr.

Airton is occasionally seen, too, including in Brazil.

It’s not clear exactly how the English-Scottish surname name made its way to South America. But travel it did, and perhaps Brazil is ready to send the name back to the English-speaking world today.

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It doesn’t look like Jules Verne or Disney gets credit for the name’s use in the US. The first few Ayrtons arrived in the mid-1980s, just as Senna’s career was taking off.

In recent years:

  • 23 boys were given the name in 2011.
  • 46 newborn Ayrtons arrived in 2012.
  • 33 were born in 2013.
  • 30 boys received the name in 2023. 

None of the other possible spellings has caught on, and the name really hasn’t faded much, a testament to Senna’s enduring legacy.

Worth noting: the -ton ending has enjoyed some popularity in recent years. Weston, Colton, and Easton ranked in the US Top 100 as of 2023. Names like Ashton, Braxton, Kingston, Paxton, Preston, and Remington aren’t far behind.

PERFECT NAME FOR A FAN

If you appreciate Ayrton Senna’s talent and drive, then this could be the ideal hero name for a son. It’s the right mix of distinctively different and still nicely on-trend. 

And if you’re not a Formula One aficianado? Ayrton’ smooth style and long history of use as a last name, along with the appeal of the “ayr” sound, might still make this a compelling choice.

What do you think of the baby name Ayrton?

First published on March 3, 2015, this post was revised on November 16, 2024.

About Abby Sandel

Whether you're naming a baby, or just all about names, you've come to the right place! Appellation Mountain is a haven for lovers of obscure gems and enduring classics alike.

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What do you think?

3 Comments

    1. Hi Ian – I’m confused. The text reads, “Senna also isnโ€™t the first Brazilian to wear the name. Footballer Ayrton Andrioli was born in 1965, well before Senna.” So I think it’s clear that Andrioli is older than Senna – did you mean something else? – Abby