Hadasah
A feminine Hebrew name meaning "myrtle tree" or "bride".
Name Census estimates that about 156 living Americans carry the first name Hadasah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Hadasah today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Hadasah births was 2012 (16 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Hadasah. 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
156
~ 1 in 2,197,143 Americans
Peak year
2012
16 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2024 SSA rank
#11,414
Tracked since 2005
Popularity
Hadasah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Hadasah from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 79 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Hadasah remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Hadasah 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 Hadasah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Hadasah
The name Hadasah has its origins in the Hebrew language and culture. It is derived from the Hebrew word "hadas," which means "myrtle" or "myrtle tree." The myrtle tree is a highly revered plant in Jewish tradition, symbolizing peace, love, and fertility.
In the Hebrew Bible, the name Hadasah is mentioned as the original name of Queen Esther, one of the most prominent figures in the Book of Esther. Esther, whose Hebrew name was Hadasah, played a crucial role in saving the Jewish people from persecution in ancient Persia.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Hadasah can be traced back to the 5th century BCE, during the time of the Persian Empire. However, it is believed that the name existed even earlier, possibly dating back to the time of the Israelites' exodus from Egypt.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Hadasah. One of the most famous was Hadasah Brachah Mizrahi (1860-1935), a renowned Jewish educator and community leader in Palestine during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. She played a significant role in establishing modern Hebrew education and promoting the revival of the Hebrew language.
Another notable figure was Hadasah Brenner (1912-1998), an Israeli writer and poet. She was a prominent figure in the Yiddish literary world and made significant contributions to Yiddish literature, particularly in the genre of children's literature.
In the realm of politics, Hadasah Brand (1900-1982) was a prominent Israeli politician and one of the signatories of the Israeli Declaration of Independence in 1948. She served as a member of the Knesset (Israeli parliament) for several terms and was a strong advocate for women's rights and social welfare.
Hadasah Kleinhaus (1909-1941) was a Jewish resistance fighter during World War II. She played a crucial role in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising against the Nazi occupation, and her bravery and sacrifice have been widely recognized and celebrated.
Hadasah Ingber (1920-2010) was an American author and Holocaust survivor. She wrote several memoirs and works of fiction, chronicling her experiences during the Holocaust and her journey to rebuild her life in the United States after World War II.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have carried the name Hadasah throughout history, each leaving a lasting impact in their respective fields and communities.
People
Hadasah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Hadasah as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with H
Other first names starting with H with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Hadasah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Hadasah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 156 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Hadasah 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 2,197,143 US residents.
Is Hadasah a common name?
We classify Hadasah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 70.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 157 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Hadasah most popular?
The single biggest year for Hadasah was 2012, when 16 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Hadasah is about 11 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Hadasah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Hadasah 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.