Cady
A feminine name of Welsh origin meaning "battle" or "powerful".
Name Census estimates that about 2,374 living Americans carry the first name Cady. It is a predominantly female name (99.2% of registrations). The average person named Cady today is around 27 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Cady births was 1992 (155 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Cady. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Cady with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
2.4K
~ 1 in 144,378 Americans
Peak year
1992
155 babies that year
Average age
27
years old
1988 SSA rank
#5,836
Tracked since 1970
Census
Cady in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 2,305 people with the first name Cady, which placed it at #6,829 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#6,829
National first-name rank
People counted
2.3K
2,305 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.8
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
83.0% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cady
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Cady is White at 83.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.6%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Cady described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Cady at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.0% · 1,913
- Hispanic or Latino6.7% · 154
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.6% · 105
- Two or more races3.3% · 76
- Black or African American1.8% · 42
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 15
Gender
Gender distribution for Cady
Out of the 2,444 babies given the name Cady since 1880, 99.2% were registered as female. The name sits firmly on the female side of the spectrum, with only a handful of male registrations across the entire dataset.
Cady as a male name
- Ranked #5,836 in 1988
- 7 male births in 1988
- Peak: 1985 (7 births)
Cady as a female name
- Ranked #7,635 in 2024
- 14 female births in 2024
- Peak: 1992 (155 births)
2020 Census snapshot
In the 2020 Census sex table, Cady leans strongly female. 2,263 people counted with this name were female (98.0%), compared with 46 male bearers (2.0%).
Popularity
Cady: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Cady from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 1,082 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Cady 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 Cady during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Cadys live
The SSA's state-level files cover 19 states and territories. California, Texas, Michigan recorded the most babies named Cady, while Kentucky, Arizona, Massachusetts recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 32 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Cady
The given name Cady has its origins in the Old English language, derived from the word "cad," which means "round" or "hardy." It was initially used as a nickname for someone with a round or sturdy build. The name gained popularity during the Middle Ages, particularly in England and parts of Northern Europe.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cady can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as a variation of the more common spelling "Cadey," referring to several individuals who held land or property during that period.
In the 12th century, the name Cady was mentioned in the writings of the renowned historian and chronicler, William of Malmesbury. He documented the exploits of a knight named Cady de Montfort, who fought alongside King Richard I during the Third Crusade (1189-1192). This historical reference suggests that the name was associated with valor and bravery in medieval times.
During the Renaissance period, the name Cady found its way into literary works. One notable example is the character of Cady Everard, a minor but influential figure in Sir Walter Scott's historical novel "Kenilworth" (1821), set in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Scott's depiction of Cady as a loyal and steadfast companion to the protagonists may have contributed to the name's enduring appeal.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Cady. One of the earliest recorded was Cady Stanton (1815-1902), an American social activist and leading figure in the early women's rights movement. Her tireless efforts and writings played a significant role in advancing the cause of women's suffrage in the United States.
Another prominent figure was Cady Herrick (1846-1910), an American architect renowned for his innovative designs and contributions to the Prairie School of architecture. His most famous work, the Cady Herrick House in Aurora, Illinois, is considered a masterpiece of the Prairie Style and has been designated a National Historic Landmark.
In the realm of literature, Cady Stanton Burroughs (1877-1948), an American novelist and artist, gained recognition for her works that explored themes of feminism and social justice. Her novel "The Cady Daughters" (1924) was a critically acclaimed exploration of the challenges faced by women in the early 20th century.
Another notable figure was Cady Frear (1901-1988), an American politician and jurist who served as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Hawaii from 1959 to 1966. He played a crucial role in shaping the legal system of the newly admitted state and was widely respected for his fair and impartial judgments.
Finally, Cady Coleman (born 1960) is a retired American astronaut who has made a significant contribution to space exploration. She has served as a mission specialist on two Space Shuttle missions and spent a total of 180 days in space, conducting various scientific experiments and advancing our understanding of the universe.
People
Cady + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Cady as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Cady: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Cady?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2,374 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Cady 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 144,378 US residents.
Is Cady a common name?
We classify Cady as "Rare". It ranks above 94.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,444 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Cady most popular?
The single biggest year for Cady was 1992, when 155 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Cady is about 27 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Cady in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 2,305 people with the name Cady, or 0.76 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #6,829 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Cady in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Cady?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Cady leans strongly female. 2,263 people counted with this name were female (98.0%), compared with 46 male bearers (2.0%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Cady?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Cady is White at 83.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.6%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Cady most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Cady in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.0% (1,913 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Cady in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Cady a female name?
Yes, 99.2% of people registered as Cady 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 Cady still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Cady 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 Cady 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.
How many people are called Cady?
You can see how many Americans are named Cady on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.