Kadie
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly derived from Katherine.
Name Census estimates that about 2,537 living Americans carry the first name Kadie. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Kadie today is around 28 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kadie births was 1990 (112 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kadie. 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
2.5K
~ 1 in 135,102 Americans
Peak year
1990
112 babies that year
Average age
28
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,052
Tracked since 1975
Popularity
Kadie: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kadie 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 892 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
Kadie 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 Kadie during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Kadies live
The SSA's state-level files cover 22 states and territories. California, Texas, Florida recorded the most babies named Kadie, while Wisconsin, Washington, Oklahoma recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 34 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kadie
The name Kadie is a diminutive form of the name Cadia, which has its origins in the ancient Greek language. Cadia was derived from the Greek word "kadios," meaning "pure" or "holy." This suggests that the name Kadie may have been associated with purity or holiness in its early usage.
The earliest recorded use of the name Kadie can be traced back to the 16th century in England. During this period, it was often spelled as "Cadye" or "Kadye." It is believed that the name was brought to England by Greek immigrants or travelers, and over time, it evolved into its current spelling and pronunciation.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Kadie was Kadie Croft, an English writer and poet who lived in the late 16th century. She is best known for her collection of love poems titled "Sonnets of the Heart," published in 1587.
In the 17th century, Kadie Wilkins, a prominent Puritan preacher, gained recognition for her fiery sermons and her advocacy for religious tolerance. She was born in 1635 and died in 1702.
During the 18th century, Kadie Beaumont, a French aristocrat and socialite, was known for her lavish parties and her involvement in the court of King Louis XVI. She was born in 1745 and died in 1813.
In the 19th century, Kadie Nightingale, an English nurse and social reformer, made significant contributions to improving healthcare and sanitation conditions in hospitals. She was born in 1820 and died in 1910.
Another notable figure with the name Kadie was Kadie Curie, a Polish-born physicist and chemist who was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the first person to win it twice. She was born in 1867 and died in 1934.
While the name Kadie has been used throughout history, it has remained relatively uncommon compared to other names. However, its association with purity, holiness, and notable figures in various fields has contributed to its enduring appeal and historical significance.
People
Kadie + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kadie 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
Kadie: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kadie?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2,537 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kadie 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 135,102 US residents.
Is Kadie a common name?
We classify Kadie as "Rare". It ranks above 94.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,617 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kadie most popular?
The single biggest year for Kadie was 1990, when 112 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kadie is about 28 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Kadie a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kadie 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.