Haydee
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "guidance" or "guide".
Name Census estimates that about 3,077 living Americans carry the first name Haydee. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Haydee today is around 37 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Haydee births was 2008 (87 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Haydee. 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
3.1K
~ 1 in 111,392 Americans
Peak year
2008
87 babies that year
Average age
37
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,844
Tracked since 1920
Popularity
Haydee: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Haydee from the 1920s through to the 2020s, spanning 11 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 598 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Haydee 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 Haydee during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Haydees live
The SSA's state-level files cover 7 states and territories. California, New York, Texas recorded the most babies named Haydee, while Massachusetts, Florida, Illinois recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 302 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Haydee
The name Haydee originated from the French language and culture. It is derived from the Old French word "haidee," which means "kind" or "friendly." The name gained popularity during the Middle Ages in France and surrounding regions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Haydee can be found in the epic poem "Gesta Regum Britanniae" (The Deeds of the Britons) written by Geoffrey of Monmouth in the 12th century. In this work, Haydee is mentioned as the name of a beautiful and kind-hearted princess.
During the Renaissance period, the name Haydee became associated with grace, charm, and elegance. It was a popular name among the French nobility and upper classes. One notable figure from this era was Haydee de Bourbon (1519-1592), a influential courtier and patron of the arts at the court of King Henry IV of France.
In the 18th century, the name Haydee gained further prominence with the publication of the novel "Paul et Virginie" by Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre. In this work, the character of Haydee is portrayed as a gentle and compassionate young woman from a fictional island in the Indian Ocean.
Another famous bearer of the name was Haydee Santamaria (1923-1980), a Cuban revolutionary and feminist who played a significant role in the Cuban Revolution alongside Fidel Castro and Che Guevara. She was known for her unwavering commitment to social justice and human rights.
In the literary world, Haydee Arizmendi (1914-2003) was a renowned Mexican poet and writer who contributed greatly to the modernist movement in Latin American literature. Her works often explored themes of love, identity, and the human condition.
Throughout its history, the name Haydee has been associated with kindness, grace, and a strong sense of compassion. Despite its French origins, it has been embraced by various cultures and continues to be a popular choice for parents seeking a unique and meaningful name for their daughters.
People
Haydee + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Haydee 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
Haydee: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Haydee?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 3,077 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Haydee 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 111,392 US residents.
Is Haydee a common name?
We classify Haydee as "Rare". It ranks above 95.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 3,395 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Haydee most popular?
The single biggest year for Haydee was 2008, when 87 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Haydee is about 37 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Haydee a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Haydee 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.