Fadumo
A feminine Somali name meaning "beautiful pearl" or "precious pearl".
Name Census estimates that about 291 living Americans carry the first name Fadumo. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Fadumo today is around 18 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Fadumo births was 2006 (19 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Fadumo. 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
291
~ 1 in 1,177,850 Americans
Peak year
2006
19 babies that year
Average age
18
years old
2020 SSA rank
#12,563
Tracked since 1995
Popularity
Fadumo: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Fadumo from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 131 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
Fadumo 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 Fadumo during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Fadumos live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. Minnesota, Ohio, California recorded the most babies named Fadumo, while California, Ohio, Minnesota recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 24 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Fadumo
The name Fadumo is of Somali origin and is derived from the Arabic word "faduma," which means "the praised one" or "the glorified one." It is a feminine name that has been in use for centuries among the Somali people, who are predominantly Muslim and live in the Horn of Africa region.
The earliest recorded use of the name Fadumo dates back to the 7th century, during the time of the Prophet Muhammad. According to Islamic tradition, Fadumo was the name of one of the Prophet's companions, a woman known for her piety and dedication to the faith. This association with the early days of Islam likely contributed to the name's popularity among Somali Muslims.
Throughout history, several notable women have borne the name Fadumo. One of the most famous was Fadumo Dayib (1952-1976), a Somali feminist and revolutionary who fought against the oppressive Siad Barre regime in the 1970s. She was executed by the government at the age of 24 for her activism, and her story has become a symbol of resistance and the struggle for women's rights in Somalia.
Another prominent figure was Fadumo Ahmed (1906-1968), a Somali politician and activist who played a significant role in the nation's independence movement. She was one of the first women elected to the Somali Parliament and worked tirelessly to promote education and empowerment for Somali women.
In the realm of literature, Fadumo Qasim Hilowle (1923-2005) was a renowned Somali poet and writer. Her works explored themes of love, identity, and the experiences of Somali women, and she is considered one of the most influential voices in modern Somali literature.
Fadumo Abdillahi Dahir (born 1953) is a Somali diplomat and politician who has served as Minister of Women and Human Rights Development in Somalia. She has been a vocal advocate for women's rights and has worked to address issues such as gender-based violence and maternal health.
Fadumo Ismail Aidid (1957-2022) was a Somali activist and entrepreneur who founded the Mother Somalia organization, which aimed to empower women and promote peace and reconciliation in the country. She was widely respected for her humanitarian efforts and her commitment to improving the lives of Somali women and children.
These are just a few examples of the notable women throughout history who have carried the name Fadumo, a name that has deep roots in Somali culture and Islamic tradition, and continues to be a popular choice among Somali families today.
People
Fadumo + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Fadumo as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with F
Other first names starting with F with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Fadumo: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Fadumo?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 291 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Fadumo 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 1,177,850 US residents.
Is Fadumo a common name?
We classify Fadumo as "Very Rare". It ranks above 78.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 295 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Fadumo most popular?
The single biggest year for Fadumo was 2006, when 19 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Fadumo is about 18 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Fadumo a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Fadumo 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.