Kadell
A masculine Arabic name meaning "fortunate bearer of a pearl".
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Kadell. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Kadell today is around 32 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kadell births was 1994 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kadell. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Kadell with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Kadell. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
1994
6 babies that year
Average age
32
years old
1994 SSA rank
#8,271
Tracked since 1993
Popularity
Kadell: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Kadell 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 Kadell during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 11 | 0 | 11 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Kadell
The name Kadell is believed to have originated from the ancient Aramaic language, which was widely spoken in the Middle East during the ancient times. The name is derived from the Aramaic word "kadal," which means "to weigh" or "to measure." It is possible that the name was initially associated with occupations related to weighing or measuring goods in trade or commerce.
The earliest known recorded instance of the name Kadell dates back to the 5th century BCE, where it was found inscribed on an ancient clay tablet from the region of Mesopotamia. This tablet, which is currently housed in the British Museum, is considered one of the earliest written records of the name.
In the ancient texts and historical records, the name Kadell is mentioned a few times, although its occurrences are relatively rare. One notable reference is found in the Talmud, a central text of Rabbinic Judaism, where a scholar named Kadell ben Abba is mentioned as a prominent figure in the 3rd century CE.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Kadell. One of the earliest recorded was Kadell al-Baghdadi (790-867 CE), an influential Islamic scholar and philosopher from Baghdad, who made significant contributions to the fields of mathematics and astronomy.
Another prominent figure was Kadell ibn Abi Bakr (1075-1149 CE), a renowned Arab poet and literary critic from Seville, Spain, who was highly regarded for his poetic works and literary critiques during the golden age of Islamic civilization in Andalusia.
In more recent times, Kadell Williamson (1923-2008) was an American businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to various educational and charitable organizations in his home state of North Carolina.
Additionally, Kadell Bigby (1944-2012) was a renowned African-American artist and sculptor, known for his unique style and works that celebrated African-American culture and heritage.
Finally, Kadell Daniels (born 1981) is a contemporary American author and journalist who has written extensively on topics related to social justice, race, and culture.
While the name Kadell is relatively uncommon today, it carries a rich historical legacy and linguistic roots that trace back to the ancient civilizations of the Middle East and the Aramaic language.
People
Kadell + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kadell 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
Kadell: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kadell?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kadell 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 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Kadell a common name?
We classify Kadell as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kadell most popular?
The single biggest year for Kadell was 1994, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kadell is about 32 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 Kadell in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kadell a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kadell 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.
Is Kadell still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kadell 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 Kadell 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 Americans are named Kadell?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the name Kadell at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.