Madax
A Somali name meaning "the leader" or "the head".
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Madax. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Madax today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Madax births was 2016 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Madax. 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 Madax. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
2016
6 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2016 SSA rank
#11,617
Tracked since 2016
Popularity
Madax: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Madax 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 Madax during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Madax
The given name Madax has its origins in the Somali language, spoken primarily in the Horn of Africa region. The name is believed to have derived from the Arabic word "madah," which translates to "praise" or "exaltation." The earliest use of this name can be traced back to the 7th century CE, during the spread of Islam in the region.
In ancient Somali culture, names often carried significant meanings and were chosen carefully to reflect the values and aspirations of the parents for their children. The name Madax was likely given to newborns as a way to express the desire for the child to be praised or exalted, either for their character or achievements.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Madax can be found in the genealogical records of the Somali clans, which document the lineages and histories of various families and communities. These records, passed down orally for generations, often included the names of notable individuals within each clan.
One of the earliest notable figures to bear the name Madax was Madax Abdirahman, a 13th-century scholar and poet from the Somali region. His works, though largely lost to time, were said to have been influential in the development of Somali literature and poetry.
Another prominent individual with the name Madax was Madax Ali, a 16th-century military leader and strategist from the Kingdom of Adal. He played a crucial role in the Adal conquest of the Abyssinian Empire, leading the Somali forces to several victories against the Abyssinian armies.
In the 18th century, Madax Farah was a renowned Somali explorer and trader who ventured deep into the interior of the Horn of Africa, establishing trade routes and fostering cultural exchanges between various communities.
Moving into the 19th century, Madax Osman was a prominent Somali poet and oral historian, known for his intricate verses and his vast knowledge of Somali folklore and traditions. His works were widely recited and passed down through generations, preserving the rich cultural heritage of the region.
In more recent times, Madax Ahmed was a 20th-century Somali politician and diplomat who played a significant role in the negotiations leading to the independence of Somalia from colonial rule. He served as the first Foreign Minister of the independent Somali Republic in the 1960s.
People
Madax + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Madax as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Madax: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Madax?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Madax 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 Madax a common name?
We classify Madax 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 Madax most popular?
The single biggest year for Madax was 2016, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Madax is about 10 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 Madax in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Madax a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Madax 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 Madax still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Madax 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 Madax 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 have the name Madax?
If you just want to know how many people have the name Madax, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.