Kadance
A feminine name of French origin meaning "rhythmical flow or cadence".
Name Census estimates that about 850 living Americans carry the first name Kadance. It is a predominantly female name (98.0% of registrations). The average person named Kadance today is around 17 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kadance births was 2006 (108 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kadance. 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
850
~ 1 in 403,240 Americans
Peak year
2006
108 babies that year
Average age
17
years old
2008 SSA rank
#11,795
Tracked since 2002
Gender
Gender distribution for Kadance
Kadance leans heavily female at 98.0% of total registrations, but 17 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Kadance as a male name
- Ranked #11,795 in 2008
- 6 male births in 2008
- Peak: 2006 (6 births)
Kadance as a female name
- Ranked #16,275 in 2023
- 5 female births in 2023
- Peak: 2006 (102 births)
Popularity
Kadance: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kadance 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 559 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
Kadance 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 Kadance during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Kadances live
The SSA's state-level files cover 18 states and territories. Texas, Ohio, North Carolina recorded the most babies named Kadance, while Washington, Virginia, Oregon recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 11 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kadance
The name Kadance has its origins in the Gaelic language, which was spoken by the ancient Celts who inhabited parts of modern-day Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. It is derived from the Old Irish word "cadan," which means "battle" or "conflict." This suggests that the name may have been given to a child born during a time of war or strife.
In the early Middle Ages, the name Kadance began to appear in ancient Irish manuscripts and historical records. One of the earliest known references is found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions a warrior named Kadance mac Duibhne who fought in the Battle of Clontarf in 1014 AD.
As the centuries passed, the name Kadance continued to be used among Irish and Scottish families, although its popularity waxed and waned. In the 16th century, a notable figure named Kadance O'Donnell was the Lord of Tyrconnell, a powerful Irish clan based in what is now County Donegal.
By the 19th century, the name had become less common, but it was still found among Irish and Scottish immigrants who settled in North America and other parts of the world. One notable individual was Kadance MacLeod, a Canadian soldier who fought in the Battle of Vimy Ridge during World War I and was awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery.
Another historical figure was Kadance O'Brien, an Irish-American suffragette and activist who campaigned for women's rights in the early 20th century. She was born in 1887 and played a significant role in the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which granted American women the right to vote.
In more recent times, the name Kadance has been revived and has gained popularity as a unique and distinctive name for both boys and girls. However, it remains relatively uncommon compared to many other names of Irish or Celtic origin.
People
Kadance + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kadance as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Kadance: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kadance?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 850 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kadance 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 403,240 US residents.
Is Kadance a common name?
We classify Kadance as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 860 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kadance most popular?
The single biggest year for Kadance was 2006, when 108 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kadance is about 17 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Kadance a female name?
Yes, 98.0% of people registered as Kadance 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.