Madiha
A feminine Arabic name meaning "praise" or "praiser".
Name Census estimates that about 391 living Americans carry the first name Madiha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Madiha today is around 20 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Madiha births was 2022 (17 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Madiha. 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
391
~ 1 in 876,610 Americans
Peak year
2022
17 babies that year
Average age
20
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,428
Tracked since 1984
Popularity
Madiha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Madiha from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 104 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1990s peak, Madiha remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Madiha 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 Madiha during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Madihas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Madiha
The name Madiha is of Arabic origin and is believed to have its roots in the Arabic word "madah," which means "to praise" or "to extol." It is a feminine name that carries a sense of admiration and reverence.
The earliest known usage of the name Madiha can be traced back to the 7th century, during the time of the Islamic Golden Age. It was a popular name among Arab women, particularly those from the Middle Eastern region.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Madiha was Madiha al-Andalusiya, a renowned poet and scholar who lived in the 10th century in Cordoba, Spain. She was celebrated for her remarkable literary works and her contribution to the preservation of Arabic culture during the Umayyad Caliphate in Andalusia.
In the 12th century, Madiha al-Sham'a was a notable Arab female poet from Damascus, Syria. Her poetry often touched on themes of love, spirituality, and the experiences of women in her time. She is considered one of the most influential figures in the development of Arabic literary traditions.
During the 13th century, Madiha al-Baghdadiya was a celebrated calligraphist and artist from Baghdad, Iraq. Her intricate calligraphic works adorned numerous manuscripts and architectural structures, earning her a reputation as one of the most skilled calligraphers of her era.
In the 15th century, Madiha al-Qurashiya was a prominent scholar and religious leader from Mecca, Saudi Arabia. She was renowned for her extensive knowledge of Islamic jurisprudence and her dedication to teaching and spreading Islamic teachings.
Madiha Bint Uthman, who lived in the 17th century, was a highly respected poet and writer from Yemen. Her poetry explored themes of love, spirituality, and the struggles faced by women in her society. She is considered one of the most influential female literary figures in Yemeni history.
While the name Madiha has deep historical roots and significance, it has maintained its popularity across various regions and cultures over the centuries, serving as a testament to its enduring beauty and meaning.
People
Madiha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Madiha 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
Madiha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Madiha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 391 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Madiha 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 876,610 US residents.
Is Madiha a common name?
We classify Madiha as "Very Rare". It ranks above 82.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 399 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Madiha most popular?
The single biggest year for Madiha was 2022, when 17 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Madiha is about 20 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Madiha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Madiha 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.