Kadi
A feminine Arabic name meaning "one who suffers".
Name Census estimates that about 924 living Americans carry the first name Kadi. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Kadi today is around 29 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kadi births was 1989 (43 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kadi. 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
924
~ 1 in 370,946 Americans
Peak year
1989
43 babies that year
Average age
29
years old
2024 SSA rank
#14,242
Tracked since 1975
Popularity
Kadi: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kadi from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 334 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kadi 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 Kadi during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Kadis live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. Texas, California, Missouri recorded the most babies named Kadi, while Ohio, Missouri, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 13 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kadi
The name Kadi is believed to have originated from the Arabic language, with roots dating back to the 7th century. It is derived from the Arabic word "qadi," which means "judge" or "administrator of justice." This suggests that the name may have been associated with individuals who held positions of authority or played a significant role in the judicial system during the early Islamic era.
In the historical records of the Islamic world, there are several notable figures who bore the name Kadi. One of the earliest recorded examples is Kadi Iyad, a renowned Maliki scholar and judge who lived in Granada, Spain, during the 12th century (1083-1149 CE). He is widely recognized for his contributions to Islamic jurisprudence and his influential work, "Al-Shifa," a biographical account of the Prophet Muhammad.
Another prominent figure was Kadi Burhanuddin, a 13th-century Islamic scholar and jurist from Tirmidh (present-day Uzbekistan). He authored several works on Islamic law and theology, including the celebrated "Al-Wiqayah," a comprehensive treatise on Hanafi jurisprudence.
In the realm of literature, Kadi Nur al-Din al-Halabi stands out as a prominent Syrian poet and writer from the 16th century (1492-1563 CE). He is best known for his poetic masterpiece, "Diwan al-Halabi," a collection of verses that celebrated love, nature, and Islamic spirituality.
Moving forward in history, Kadi Ali Pasha, an Ottoman statesman and Grand Vizier, played a significant role in the Ottoman Empire during the late 16th and early 17th centuries (1541-1609 CE). He is credited with implementing various administrative reforms and overseeing the construction of notable architectural works in Istanbul.
Lastly, a more recent figure is Kadi Burhan al-Din Khan, a prominent Afghan politician and diplomat who served as the Prime Minister of Afghanistan in the early 20th century (1858-1933 CE). He played a crucial role in establishing diplomatic relations between Afghanistan and several European nations during his tenure.
The name Kadi, with its rich historical roots and association with influential figures from the Islamic world, continues to be used across various cultures and regions, carrying a sense of authority, scholarship, and leadership.
People
Kadi + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kadi 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
Kadi: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kadi?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 924 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kadi 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 370,946 US residents.
Is Kadi a common name?
We classify Kadi as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 954 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kadi most popular?
The single biggest year for Kadi was 1989, when 43 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kadi is about 29 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Kadi a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kadi 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.