Cadet
Borrowed from the French cadet meaning "younger son" or "youth in training."
Name Census estimates that about 4 living Americans carry the first name Cadet. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Cadet today is around 67 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Cadet births was 1964 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Cadet. 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
- • The typical person named Cadet is about 67 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Cadets were born before 1969.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Cadet. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
4
~ 1 in 85,688,585 Americans
Peak year
1964
5 babies that year
Average age
67
years old
1964 SSA rank
#4,119
Tracked since 1964
Popularity
Cadet: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Cadet 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 Cadet during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Cadet
The given name Cadet originated from the French language, specifically from the word "cadet," which means "younger son" or "younger brother." This term initially referred to younger sons of noble families who embarked on military careers, as they were considered less likely to inherit titles or estates compared to their elder brothers.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Cadet gained prominence in France, particularly among military and aristocratic circles. It was often bestowed upon younger sons of noble families who were expected to pursue careers in the military or other professions outside of the family's primary estates or businesses.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Cadet can be found in the writings of French historian and philosopher Michel de Montaigne, who lived from 1533 to 1592. Montaigne used the term "cadet" to refer to younger sons in his famous essays, reflecting the cultural significance of the term during that era.
In the 17th century, the name Cadet gained further recognition with the establishment of the prestigious French military academy, École Royale Militaire, also known as the École des Cadets. This institution was founded in 1776 to train young men, particularly those from noble families, for military service.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the first name Cadet. One such person was Cadet de Vaux (1554-1623), a French military engineer and architect who designed fortifications and played a significant role in the development of military architecture during the Renaissance period.
Another prominent figure was Cadet de Gassicourt (1769-1821), a French chemist and pharmacist who made notable contributions to the study of chemistry and the development of the pharmaceutical industry in France during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
In the realm of literature, Cadet Rousselle was the name of a fictional character featured in a famous French nursery rhyme and children's song from the 18th century. This character represented a young, carefree soldier, reflecting the military connotations associated with the name Cadet.
Cadet Devaux (1770-1840) was a French military officer and engineer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and contributed to the construction of several fortifications and defensive works throughout Europe during that period.
Lastly, Cadet Lufbery (1885-1918) was an American aviation pioneer and fighter pilot who gained fame during World War I as a member of the Lafayette Escadrille, a squadron of American volunteer pilots serving in the French Air Service before the United States entered the war.
People
Cadet + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Cadet 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
Cadet: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Cadet?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 4 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Cadet 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 85,688,585 US residents.
Is Cadet a common name?
We classify Cadet as "Very Rare". It ranks above 6.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Cadet most popular?
The single biggest year for Cadet was 1964, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Cadet is about 67 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 Cadet in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Cadet a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Cadet in the SSA data are male. 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 Cadet still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Cadet 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 Cadet 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 common is the name Cadet?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people share the name Cadet at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.