Cadance
A modern feminine name derived from cadence, meaning a rhythmic flow or rhythm.
Name Census estimates that about 932 living Americans carry the first name Cadance. It is a predominantly female name (99.5% of registrations). The average person named Cadance today is around 18 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Cadance births was 2004 (108 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Cadance. 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.
People living today
932
~ 1 in 367,762 Americans
Peak year
2004
108 babies that year
Average age
18
years old
2012 SSA rank
#12,561
Tracked since 2002
Gender
Gender distribution for Cadance
Out of the 943 babies given the name Cadance since 1880, 99.5% 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.
Cadance as a male name
- Ranked #12,561 in 2012
- 5 male births in 2012
- Peak: 2012 (5 births)
Cadance as a female name
- Ranked #15,665 in 2024
- 5 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2004 (108 births)
Popularity
Cadance: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Cadance from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 627 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Cadance 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 Cadance during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Cadances live
The SSA's state-level files cover 14 states and territories. Texas, California, Ohio recorded the most babies named Cadance, while Missouri, Michigan, Indiana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 15 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Cadance
The name Cadance has its origins in the Latin language, derived from the word "cadentia," which means "a rhythmic falling or inflection." It is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, around the 5th to 15th centuries, when Latin was widely used as the language of scholars and the Church.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cadance can be found in the writings of medieval poets and musicians, who often used the term "cadentia" to describe the melodic patterns and rhythmic structures in their compositions. This suggests that the name may have been associated with the art of music and the concept of harmonious rhythms.
In the 12th century, a French philosopher and theologian named Cadance de Lille (born around 1150) gained recognition for his works on logic and metaphysics. He was known for his contributions to the development of scholastic philosophy and his writings on the nature of universals.
During the Renaissance period, a notable figure named Cadance Veneziano (1470-1546) was a renowned painter from Venice, Italy. She was celebrated for her mastery of the chiaroscuro technique, which involved the skillful use of light and shadow to create depth and dimension in her paintings.
In the 17th century, a French composer named Cadance Lully (1632-1687) made significant contributions to the development of the French operatic tradition. He served as the court composer for King Louis XIV and is credited with establishing the French opera as a distinct art form.
Another historical figure associated with the name Cadance is Cadance Lafleur (1795-1871), a French-Canadian writer and poet who was known for her poignant depictions of life in rural Quebec. Her works captured the essence of the French-Canadian experience and helped to preserve the cultural heritage of her people.
While the name Cadance may not be as widely used today as it once was, its rich historical connections to the realms of music, art, and literature have endowed it with a sense of elegance and artistic expression.
People
Cadance + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Cadance 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
Cadance: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Cadance?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 932 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Cadance 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 367,762 US residents.
Is Cadance a common name?
We classify Cadance as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 943 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Cadance most popular?
The single biggest year for Cadance was 2004, when 108 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Cadance is about 18 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Cadance a female name?
Yes, 99.5% of people registered as Cadance 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.