Adajah
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly derived from the Arabic word "Ada" meaning "to return".
Name Census estimates that about 76 living Americans carry the first name Adajah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Adajah today is around 23 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Adajah births was 2001 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Adajah. 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 Adajah. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
76
~ 1 in 4,509,926 Americans
Peak year
2001
10 babies that year
Average age
23
years old
2008 SSA rank
#10,815
Tracked since 1997
Popularity
Adajah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Adajah from the 1990s through to the 2000s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 58 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
Adajah 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 Adajah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Adajah
The name Adajah is believed to have its origins in the Hebrew language, although its exact etymology is uncertain. Some scholars suggest that it may derive from the Hebrew name Adah, which means "ornament" or "adornment." Others propose that it could be a variation of the name Hadassah, meaning "myrtle" or "myrtle tree."
In the Bible, Adah is mentioned as one of the wives of Lamech, a descendant of Cain. This reference can be found in the Book of Genesis, which is part of the Hebrew Scriptures or the Old Testament. However, there is no clear connection between the biblical Adah and the modern name Adajah.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Adajah can be traced back to the 17th century. Adajah Thayer (1627-1692) was an early settler in Massachusetts Bay Colony and is considered one of the first recorded individuals with this name.
Throughout history, there have been a few notable individuals who bore the name Adajah. Adajah Hawthorne (1830-1915) was an American artist and illustrator, known for her etchings and engravings. Adajah Liston (1842-1920) was a prominent abolitionist and advocate for women's rights in the United States.
In the 20th century, Adajah Isaacs (1901-1975) was a British-born painter and sculptor who gained recognition for her vibrant and expressive works. Adajah Williamson (1919-1998) was an American social worker and civil rights activist, known for her efforts in addressing poverty and racial inequality.
Another noteworthy individual with the name Adajah is Adajah Ramey (1937-2021), an American educator and community leader who dedicated her life to promoting literacy and educational opportunities for underprivileged children.
While the name Adajah is relatively uncommon, it carries a sense of elegance and uniqueness. Its potential Hebrew origins and historical references add depth and cultural significance to this distinctive name.
People
Adajah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Adajah 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
Adajah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Adajah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 76 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Adajah 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 4,509,926 US residents.
Is Adajah a common name?
We classify Adajah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 60.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 77 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Adajah most popular?
The single biggest year for Adajah was 2001, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Adajah is about 23 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 Adajah in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Adajah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Adajah in the SSA data are female. 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 Adajah still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Adajah 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 Adajah 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 Adajah?
You can see how many Americans are named Adajah on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.