Ghadeer
A feminine Arabic name meaning "small stream or brook".
Name Census estimates that about 94 living Americans carry the first name Ghadeer. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Ghadeer today is around 21 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ghadeer births was 2012 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ghadeer. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Ghadeer. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
94
~ 1 in 3,646,323 Americans
Peak year
2012
10 babies that year
Average age
21
years old
2019 SSA rank
#16,367
Tracked since 1992
Popularity
Ghadeer: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ghadeer from the 1990s through to the 2010s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 38 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
Ghadeer 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 Ghadeer during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Ghadeers live
Origin
Meaning and history of Ghadeer
The name Ghadeer is of Arabic origin and is believed to have been derived from the Arabic word "ghadir," which means a small pond or a body of water. The name is deeply rooted in Islamic history and culture.
According to Islamic tradition, the word "Ghadeer" is associated with an event known as the "Ghadeer Khum," where Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) designated Ali ibn Abi Talib as his successor and the leader of the Muslim community. This event is considered significant in Shia Islam and is commemorated annually on the 18th of Dhu al-Hijjah, the last month of the Islamic calendar.
The earliest recorded use of the name Ghadeer can be traced back to the early centuries of Islam. One of the most notable historical figures with this name was Ghadeer ibn al-Hasan al-Kufi, a renowned scholar and hadith narrator who lived in the 8th century CE. He was known for his extensive knowledge of Islamic jurisprudence and hadith (prophetic traditions).
Another notable figure with the name Ghadeer was Ghadeer al-Qummi, a prominent Shia scholar and theologian who lived in the 10th century CE. He was a prolific writer and authored several works on Islamic theology and philosophy, contributing significantly to the intellectual discourse of his time.
In the 12th century, Ghadeer ibn Jamal al-Din al-Qazwini was a celebrated Islamic scholar and poet. He was renowned for his mastery of Arabic literature and his contributions to the field of Islamic mysticism (Sufism).
Moving forward to the 19th century, Ghadeer Pasha was an influential Ottoman statesman and diplomat. He served as the governor of several provinces within the Ottoman Empire and played a significant role in its political affairs during his lifetime.
In more recent times, Ghadeer Mohamad Ali was a renowned Palestinian poet and writer who lived from 1927 to 1985. His works explored themes of resistance, national identity, and the Palestinian struggle, earning him recognition as one of the most influential voices in modern Palestinian literature.
While the name Ghadeer may not be as common today as it once was, it continues to carry historical and cultural significance, particularly within the Islamic tradition and the Shia community. Its connection to the pivotal event of Ghadeer Khum and the scholarly figures who bore this name have contributed to its enduring legacy.
People
Ghadeer + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ghadeer as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with G
Other first names starting with G with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Ghadeer: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ghadeer?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 94 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ghadeer 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 3,646,323 US residents.
Is Ghadeer a common name?
We classify Ghadeer as "Very Rare". It ranks above 63.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 96 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ghadeer most popular?
The single biggest year for Ghadeer was 2012, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ghadeer is about 21 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Ghadeer a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ghadeer 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.