Madra
A feminine name derived from the Sanskrit word "madra," meaning "pleasure" or "sweetness."
Name Census estimates that about 18 living Americans carry the first name Madra. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Madra today is around 62 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Madra births was 1971 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Madra. 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 Madra. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
18
~ 1 in 19,041,908 Americans
Peak year
1971
6 babies that year
Average age
62
years old
1972 SSA rank
#9,052
Tracked since 1936
Popularity
Madra: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Madra from the 1930s through to the 1970s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 11 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Madra 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 Madra during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Madra
The name Madra has its origins in ancient Sanskrit, one of the oldest languages in the world, dating back to the 2nd millennium BCE. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "madra," which means "sweet" or "pleasant." The name was particularly popular in ancient India and was often used as a name for girls.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Madra can be found in the Mahabharata, a renowned Hindu epic composed between the 8th and 9th centuries BCE. In this ancient text, Madra is mentioned as the name of a region in present-day North India, as well as a kingdom and its people.
Throughout history, the name Madra has been associated with several notable figures. One of the most famous was Madra Devi, a Hindu goddess worshipped in parts of Bengal and Assam in India. She was revered as the protector of children and was often invoked during childbirth.
Another prominent figure with the name Madra was Madra Raksita, a Buddhist monk and scholar who lived in the 7th century CE. He was known for his contributions to the study and preservation of Buddhist texts and is credited with translating several Sanskrit works into Chinese.
In the realm of literature, Madra Bhatta was a renowned Sanskrit poet who lived in the 6th century CE. He is best known for his work "Madra Bhatta's Gita," a poetic retelling of the Bhagavad Gita, one of the most significant Hindu scriptures.
Moving forward in time, Madra Bai was a prominent figure in the Indian freedom struggle against British rule. Born in 1880, she was a prominent activist and social reformer who fought for women's rights and education in the state of Gujarat.
Lastly, Madra Nath Mullick was a notable Indian lawyer and judge who lived from 1854 to 1936. He served as the first Indian judge in the Calcutta High Court and played a significant role in shaping the legal system in British India.
While the name Madra has its roots in ancient Sanskrit, it has maintained its popularity across various cultures and time periods, with notable individuals bearing this name throughout history.
People
Madra + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Madra 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
Madra: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Madra?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 18 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Madra 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 19,041,908 US residents.
Is Madra a common name?
We classify Madra as "Very Rare". It ranks above 38.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 26 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Madra most popular?
The single biggest year for Madra was 1971, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Madra is about 62 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Madra a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Madra 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.