Hadji
One who has made the pilgrimage to Mecca.
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Hadji. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Hadji today is around 49 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Hadji births was 1972 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Hadji. 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 Hadji. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1972
5 babies that year
Average age
49
years old
1972 SSA rank
#5,264
Tracked since 1972
Popularity
Hadji: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Hadji 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 Hadji during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Hadji
The given name Hadji originated from the Arabic word "hajji", which refers to a person who has completed the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, known as the Hajj. The name has its roots in the Arabian Peninsula and is closely associated with the Islamic faith.
The term "hajji" is derived from the Arabic root word "hajj", which means "to travel" or "to set out". The Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and is considered a sacred duty for Muslims who are physically and financially capable of undertaking the journey. The pilgrimage involves a series of rituals and rites performed in and around the holy city of Mecca.
In Islamic texts and historical records, the term "hajji" is often used as an honorific title for those who have completed the Hajj. This title signifies the spiritual and physical journey undertaken by the individual and their devotion to the Islamic faith.
One of the earliest known references to the name Hadji can be found in the writings of the famous Arab traveler and explorer, Ibn Battuta, who lived in the 14th century. In his travelogue, he mentions encountering individuals with the name Hadji during his extensive travels across the Islamic world.
Throughout history, the name Hadji has been borne by notable individuals from various walks of life. Here are five examples:
1. Hadji Ahmed Pasha (1564-1628), a prominent Ottoman statesman and military leader who served as the Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire.
2. Hadji Murad (1795-1852), a Chechen rebel leader who fought against the Russian Empire's expansion into the Caucasus region.
3. Hadji Bektash Veli (13th century), a renowned Turkish Sufi mystic and the founder of the Bektashi Sufi order, which played a significant role in the Ottoman Empire.
4. Hadji Murat (1834-1945), a famous Chechen warrior and rebel leader who fought against the Russian Empire's conquest of the Caucasus region. He was the subject of a novel by Leo Tolstoy.
5. Hadji Kalfa (1609-1657), also known as Katib Çelebi, a renowned Ottoman scholar, geographer, and historian who authored numerous works on various subjects, including history, geography, and theology.
These examples illustrate the rich historical significance and widespread use of the name Hadji across different cultures and time periods within the Islamic world.
People
Hadji + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Hadji 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
Hadji: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Hadji?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Hadji 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Hadji a common name?
We classify Hadji as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% 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 Hadji most popular?
The single biggest year for Hadji was 1972, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Hadji is about 49 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 Hadji in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Hadji a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Hadji 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 Hadji still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Hadji 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 Hadji 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 Hadji?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.