Jada
Of Arabic origin meaning "a new feminine form of Jad, meaning newborn baby."
Name Census estimates that about 65,989 living Americans carry the first name Jada. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Jada today is around 23 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jada births was 2005 (4,284 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jada. 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
- • Although Jada is used almost entirely for girls, the SSA data does show 256 boys registered with the name since 1880.
- • Compared to the 2000s, recent registration numbers for Jada have dropped to less than 5% of what they once were.
People living today
66K
~ 1 in 5,194 Americans
Peak year
2005
4,284 babies that year
Average age
23
years old
2020 SSA rank
#1,224
Tracked since 1920
Gender
Gender distribution for Jada
Out of the 67,462 babies given the name Jada since 1880, 99.6% were registered as female. The name sits firmly on the female side of the spectrum, with only a handful of male registrations across the entire dataset.
Jada as a male name
- Ranked #12,839 in 2020
- 5 male births in 2020
- Peak: 2004 (29 births)
Jada as a female name
- Ranked #1,224 in 2024
- 192 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2005 (4,267 births)
Popularity
Jada: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jada 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 37,239 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
Jada 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 Jada during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Jadas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 51 states and territories. Florida, Texas, New York recorded the most babies named Jada, while Wyoming, Vermont, Montana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 1,271 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Jada
The name Jada has its roots in Arabic, originating from the word "Jadeed" which means "new" or "modern." The name gained popularity in the Middle East during the medieval period, particularly in regions like Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Syria.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Jada can be found in the writings of the renowned Arab poet and scholar, Al-Mutanabbi, who lived in the 10th century. In one of his verses, he referred to a woman named Jada, praising her beauty and grace.
During the Islamic Golden Age, which spanned from the 8th to the 13th century, the name Jada became more widely used among Muslim families across the Middle East and North Africa. It was often associated with the idea of renewal and rebirth, reflecting the cultural and intellectual renaissance that took place during that era.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Jada. One of the earliest was Jada al-Hilaliyah, a 9th-century Arab poet known for her contributions to the literary circles of Baghdad. Her collection of poetry, titled "Diwan Jada al-Hilaliyah," remains an important work in Arabic literature.
In the 12th century, Jada bint al-Hasan al-Andalusi was a renowned scholar and poet from Seville, Spain. She was celebrated for her mastery of various disciplines, including Arabic literature, poetry, and Islamic jurisprudence.
Jumping forward to the 20th century, Jada Bharata was an influential Indian dancer and choreographer who played a pivotal role in reviving and popularizing the classical Indian dance form of Odissi. She was born in 1932 and received numerous accolades for her contributions to the arts.
Another notable figure with the name Jada was Jada Pinkett Smith, an American actress, producer, and businesswoman born in 1971. She gained widespread recognition for her roles in films such as "The Nutty Professor," "Set It Off," and the "Matrix" series.
Lastly, Jada Facer, born in 1982, is a British author and motivational speaker. She has written several books on personal development and self-empowerment, inspiring people around the world with her words and insights.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Jada
People
Jada + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jada as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with J
Other first names starting with J with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Jada: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jada?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 65,989 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jada 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 5,194 US residents.
Is Jada a common name?
We classify Jada as "Uncommon". It ranks above 99.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 67,462 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jada most popular?
The single biggest year for Jada was 2005, when 4,284 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jada is about 23 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Jada a female name?
Yes, 99.6% of people registered as Jada 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.