Karde
A masculine Persian name meaning "dagger" or "short sword".
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Karde. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Karde today is around 18 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Karde births was 2008 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Karde. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Karde. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
2008
6 babies that year
Average age
18
years old
2008 SSA rank
#11,825
Tracked since 2008
Popularity
Karde: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Karde 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 Karde during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Karde
The name Karde is believed to have originated from the ancient Aramaic language, which was widely spoken in the Middle East region during the first millennium BC. It is derived from the Aramaic root word "krd," which means "brave" or "valiant." This suggests that the name was likely given to individuals who displayed qualities of courage and strength.
In ancient times, the name Karde was prevalent among the Aramaic-speaking communities of Mesopotamia, particularly in the regions of modern-day Iraq and Syria. It was also adopted by some neighboring cultures, such as the Persians and the Phoenicians, who had close interactions with the Aramaic civilization.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Karde can be found in the ancient Aramaic inscriptions from the 6th century BC, which were discovered in the archaeological sites of Palmyra and Dura-Europos in present-day Syria. These inscriptions often referred to individuals bearing the name Karde, indicating its usage during the Achaemenid Persian Empire.
In the religious and historical texts of the ancient world, there are a few notable figures who bore the name Karde. One such figure was Karde, the son of Barzillai the Gileadite, who is mentioned in the Second Book of Samuel in the Hebrew Bible. Karde was known for his loyalty and support to King David during his reign in the 10th century BC.
Another historical figure with the name Karde was a Phoenician merchant and explorer who lived in the 5th century BC. According to ancient Greek records, Karde led a maritime expedition along the western coast of Africa, contributing to the early exploration and trade in the region.
In the later centuries, the name Karde remained in use among various ethnic groups in the Middle East and the Mediterranean region. One notable bearer of the name was Karde ibn al-Salt, an 11th-century Arab mathematician and astronomer from Egypt, who made significant contributions to the study of spherical trigonometry.
During the medieval period, the name Karde was also found among the Christian communities of the Levant. One example is Karde of Antioch, a 13th-century Syriac Orthodox bishop and scholar, who was renowned for his writings on theology and philosophy.
Throughout history, the name Karde has been borne by individuals from diverse backgrounds and cultures, reflecting its ancient roots and enduring legacy in the Middle East and surrounding regions.
People
Karde + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Karde 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
Karde: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Karde?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Karde 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Karde a common name?
We classify Karde as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Karde most popular?
The single biggest year for Karde was 2008, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Karde is about 18 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 Karde in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Karde a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Karde 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 Karde still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Karde 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 Karde 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 people are called Karde?
You can see how many people share the name Karde on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.