Hadessah
A feminine name of Hebrew origin meaning "myrtle tree".
Name Census estimates that about 174 living Americans carry the first name Hadessah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Hadessah today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Hadessah births was 2016 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Hadessah. 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
174
~ 1 in 1,969,853 Americans
Peak year
2016
13 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2023 SSA rank
#14,030
Tracked since 2003
Popularity
Hadessah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Hadessah 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 105 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Hadessah 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 Hadessah 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 Hadessah
Hadessah is a Hebrew name with origins dating back to ancient times. It is derived from the Hebrew word "hedes," meaning myrtle tree, which is a plant known for its fragrance and beauty. The myrtle tree held significant symbolism in ancient Jewish culture, representing peace, fertility, and purity.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hadessah can be found in the Book of Esther, a part of the Hebrew Bible. In this biblical story, Hadessah, also known as Esther, was a Jewish queen in the Persian Empire who helped save her people from persecution. Her name was changed to Esther upon becoming queen, but her original Hebrew name was Hadessah.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Hadessah. One prominent example is Hadassah, the founder of the Hadassah Women's Zionist Organization of America (b. 1856 - d. 1921). This influential organization, established in 1912, played a crucial role in supporting Jewish settlements in Palestine and promoting Zionist ideals.
Another notable Hadessah was Hadassah Brenner (b. 1903 - d. 1949), a prominent Israeli author and educator. She was known for her children's books and her contributions to the development of Hebrew language education in pre-state Israel.
In the realm of music, Hadessah Berlovitch (b. 1927 - d. 2021) was a renowned Israeli singer and actress. She performed extensively in Israeli theater and film, and her vocals graced numerous popular Israeli songs.
Hadessah Lieberman (b. 1937) is an American writer and former First Lady of Connecticut. She is the wife of former United States Senator Joseph Lieberman and has been actively involved in various philanthropic and educational initiatives.
Hadessah Head (b. 1940) is a British author and academic, known for her contributions to the field of early modern English literature. Her scholarly works have focused on the works of John Donne and other metaphysical poets.
While the name Hadessah has its roots in ancient Hebrew culture, it has transcended its origins and gained recognition across various contexts, from religion and literature to education and the arts, leaving an indelible mark on history.
People
Hadessah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Hadessah 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
Hadessah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Hadessah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 174 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Hadessah 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 1,969,853 US residents.
Is Hadessah a common name?
We classify Hadessah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 72.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 176 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Hadessah most popular?
The single biggest year for Hadessah was 2016, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Hadessah is about 13 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 Hadessah in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Hadessah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Hadessah 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.
Is Hadessah still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Hadessah 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 Hadessah 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 many people are called Hadessah?
Want to know how many people share the name Hadessah? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.