Adara
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly Spanish or Hebrew.
Name Census estimates that about 2,629 living Americans carry the first name Adara. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Adara today is around 16 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Adara births was 2023 (242 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Adara. 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
- • Adara is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 16 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
2.6K
~ 1 in 130,374 Americans
Peak year
2023
242 babies that year
Average age
16
years old
2024 SSA rank
#1,041
Tracked since 1979
Popularity
Adara: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Adara from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 763 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
Adara 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 Adara during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Adaras live
The SSA's state-level files cover 23 states and territories. California, Texas, Florida recorded the most babies named Adara, while Missouri, Minnesota, Michigan recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 46 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Adara
The name Adara is believed to have its origins in the Sanskrit language, an ancient Indo-Aryan language that dates back to the 2nd millennium BCE. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "adara," which means "honor" or "respect." The name was likely first used in ancient India, where Sanskrit was the primary language of Hindu scriptures and philosophical texts.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Adara can be found in the Mahabharata, a Sanskrit epic poem that is considered one of the most important works of ancient Indian literature. In the Mahabharata, Adara is mentioned as the name of a minor character who is described as a faithful and honorable servant.
Throughout history, the name Adara has been borne by several notable individuals. One such person was Adara Devi, an Indian classical dancer and choreographer who lived from 1901 to 1957. She was instrumental in reviving and popularizing the traditional Odissi dance form and is regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of Indian dance.
Another famous bearer of the name was Adara Michaels, an American actress and model who was born in 1978. She is best known for her roles in television shows such as "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel."
In the realm of literature, Adara was the name of a character in the 1984 novel "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" by Milan Kundera. The novel explores themes of love, loss, and existentialism, and Adara is portrayed as a free-spirited and passionate woman.
Moving to the field of sports, Adara Amaral was a Brazilian volleyball player who represented her country in several international competitions, including the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. She played as a middle blocker and was known for her powerful spikes and defensive skills.
Lastly, in the world of music, Adara St. Aubyn was a British singer-songwriter who rose to prominence in the 1960s. Her folk-inspired style and poetic lyrics earned her a dedicated following, and she released several well-received albums during her career.
People
Adara + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Adara 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
Adara: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Adara?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2,629 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Adara 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 130,374 US residents.
Is Adara a common name?
We classify Adara as "Rare". It ranks above 94.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,668 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Adara most popular?
The single biggest year for Adara was 2023, when 242 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Adara is about 16 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Adara a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Adara 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.
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.