Hodaya
A feminine name of Hebrew origin meaning "Thanksgiving".
Name Census estimates that about 221 living Americans carry the first name Hodaya. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Hodaya today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Hodaya births was 2024 (19 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Hodaya. 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
221
~ 1 in 1,550,925 Americans
Peak year
2024
19 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,231
Tracked since 2000
Popularity
Hodaya: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Hodaya 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 86 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Hodaya remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Hodaya 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 Hodaya during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Hodayas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Hodaya
The name Hodaya has its roots in the Hebrew language and culture, originating in ancient times. It is derived from the Hebrew word "hoda'ah," which means "thanks" or "gratitude." This name reflects a sentiment of appreciation and gratefulness, making it a meaningful choice for parents.
The earliest known reference to the name Hodaya can be found in the Hebrew Bible, specifically in the Book of Chronicles. This biblical text, believed to have been written around the 5th century BCE, mentions a woman named Hodaya who was among the Levites responsible for overseeing the construction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Hodaya. One of the earliest recorded examples is Hodaya ben Yehudah, a renowned Jewish scholar who lived in the 11th century CE in Spain. He was known for his contributions to the study of the Talmud and Jewish law.
In the 13th century, Hodaya al-Isfahani was a prominent Persian poet and philosopher. Her works explored themes of love, spirituality, and the human condition, and she was highly regarded among her contemporaries.
Moving forward to the 19th century, Hodaya Hussieni was an influential figure in the Ottoman Empire. Born in 1820 in present-day Lebanon, she was a respected educator and advocate for women's rights, working to establish schools and promote education for girls in the region.
In more recent times, Hodaya Azoulay was an Israeli author and journalist who lived from 1923 to 2008. She was known for her novels and short stories that explored the experiences of Jewish immigrants in Israel and the challenges they faced in building a new life.
It is important to note that while this name has deep roots in Hebrew culture and history, its use has transcended cultural boundaries, and individuals from various backgrounds have embraced it as a meaningful and powerful name choice.
People
Hodaya + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Hodaya 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
Hodaya: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Hodaya?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 221 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Hodaya 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 1,550,925 US residents.
Is Hodaya a common name?
We classify Hodaya as "Very Rare". It ranks above 75.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 223 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Hodaya most popular?
The single biggest year for Hodaya was 2024, when 19 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Hodaya is about 12 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 Hodaya in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Hodaya a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Hodaya 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 Hodaya still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Hodaya 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 Hodaya 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 named Hodaya?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.