Hodari
A masculine name of Swahili origin meaning "to be fortunate or prosperous".
Name Census estimates that about 86 living Americans carry the first name Hodari. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Hodari today is around 41 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Hodari births was 1979 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Hodari. 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 Hodari. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
86
~ 1 in 3,985,516 Americans
Peak year
1979
14 babies that year
Average age
41
years old
2022 SSA rank
#13,049
Tracked since 1972
Popularity
Hodari: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Hodari from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 65 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Hodari 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 Hodari during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Hodaris live
Origin
Meaning and history of Hodari
The given name Hodari has its origins in Swahili, one of the Bantu languages spoken primarily in East Africa. The name can be traced back to the 19th century, derived from the Swahili word "hodari," which means brave, courageous, or strong.
This name gained popularity among the Swahili-speaking communities along the East African coast, particularly in present-day Kenya and Tanzania. It was often bestowed upon male children with the hope that they would grow up to embody the qualities of bravery and strength.
Hodari appears to have been a relatively uncommon name in historical records until the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when it became more widely adopted. One of the earliest recorded references to the name can be found in the writings of Sir Richard Francis Burton, a renowned British explorer and writer who traveled extensively in East Africa in the 1850s.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Hodari. One such figure was Hodari Mrisho Jakaya (1924-2005), a Tanzanian politician and diplomat who served as the Prime Minister of Tanzania from 1972 to 1977. Another prominent Hodari was Hodari Abdul-Ali (1942-2008), an American actor and director known for his work in films like "The Black Godfather" and "Cornbread, Earl and Me."
In the realm of literature, Hodari M. Siki (born 1956) is a renowned Kenyan poet and playwright, whose works have explored themes of identity, social justice, and the African experience. Hodari Abdul-Rauf (born 1979), formerly known as Chris Jackson, is an American professional basketball player who played in the NBA and overseas.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Hodari dates back to the late 19th century, with Hodari Visram (1865-1939), a prominent Tanzanian-born Indian businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the development of East Africa.
While the name Hodari has its roots in East Africa, it has gained recognition and popularity worldwide, transcending cultural and geographical boundaries. The name's powerful meaning and historical significance have resonated with many, making it a celebrated choice for parents seeking a name that embodies strength, courage, and resilience.
People
Hodari + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Hodari 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
Hodari: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Hodari?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 86 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Hodari 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 3,985,516 US residents.
Is Hodari a common name?
We classify Hodari as "Very Rare". It ranks above 62.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 91 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Hodari most popular?
The single biggest year for Hodari was 1979, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Hodari is about 41 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Hodari a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Hodari 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.