Aitor is a Basque masculine given name, invented in the 19th century by writer Agosti Xaho as the name of a legendary Basque ancestral patriarch descended from the Biblical Tubal in his work "The Legend of Aitor" (1845). Xaho likely created it from the Souletin Basque expression aitoren semeak or aitonen semeak, meaning "gentry," which he interpreted as literally "sons of good fathers" — from aita "father" and on "good." This etymology reflects the compound name structure common in Basque. The name underwent a surge in popularity after its appearance in Amaya o los vascos en el siglo VIII, a Spanish-language novel that spread Xaho's myth. Today it is a common Basque name despite its invented origins. Notable bearers include Aitor 'Txiki' Beguiristain (born 1964), a Spanish retired footballer who played for Real Sociedad and FC Barcelona and is currently director of football of Manchester City; and Aitor Cantalapiedra (born 1996), a Spanish footballer for Panathinaikos.