Hamidou
A masculine name of Arabic origin meaning "praiseworthy".
Name Census estimates that about 87 living Americans carry the first name Hamidou. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Hamidou today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Hamidou births was 2017 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Hamidou. 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 Hamidou. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
87
~ 1 in 3,939,705 Americans
Peak year
2017
9 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2024 SSA rank
#12,916
Tracked since 2002
Popularity
Hamidou: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Hamidou from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 36 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Hamidou remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Hamidou 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 Hamidou 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 Hamidou
Hamidou is a masculine given name of Arabic origin, derived from the root "hamd" which means "praise" or "to praise." The name is commonly found in various regions of North Africa and West Africa, particularly among Muslim communities.
The earliest recorded use of the name Hamidou can be traced back to the 7th century during the Islamic Golden Age. It was a popular name among scholars, poets, and religious figures during this period, reflecting the cultural and intellectual flourishing of the Islamic world.
One of the most notable historical figures with the name Hamidou was Hamidou Kane, a Senegalese writer and former diplomat who lived from 1928 to 1988. His novel "L'Aventure Ambiguë" (Ambiguous Adventure) is considered a masterpiece of African literature and explores the themes of cultural identity and the clash between traditional and Western values.
Another significant figure was Hamidou Diallo, a Guinean politician and diplomat who served as the President of Guinea from 1958 to 1984. He played a crucial role in Guinea's independence movement and later shaped the country's post-colonial policies.
In the realm of sports, Hamidou Msaidie was a Moroccan footballer who played as a midfielder for various clubs in Morocco and France during the 1990s and early 2000s. He represented the Moroccan national team and participated in the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
Hamidou Benmessaoud was an Algerian singer and composer known for his contributions to the Rai music genre. Born in 1952, he gained popularity in the 1970s and 1980s, blending traditional Algerian folk music with contemporary styles.
Hamidou Soumaré was a Malian diplomat and politician who served as the Prime Minister of Mali from 1957 to 1959. He played a significant role in Mali's transition to independence and was influential in shaping the country's early political landscape.
While the name Hamidou has its roots in the Arabic language and Islamic culture, it has transcended religious and geographical boundaries, becoming a widely recognized name across various regions and ethnicities.
People
Hamidou + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Hamidou 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
Hamidou: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Hamidou?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 87 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Hamidou 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 3,939,705 US residents.
Is Hamidou a common name?
We classify Hamidou as "Very Rare". It ranks above 62.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 88 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Hamidou most popular?
The single biggest year for Hamidou was 2017, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Hamidou is about 13 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Hamidou a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Hamidou 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.
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.