Maedean
A feminine name derived from May, meaning "of May" or "born in May".
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Maedean. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Maedean today is around 83 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Maedean births was 1933 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Maedean. 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
- • The typical person named Maedean is about 83 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Maedeans were born before 1953.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Maedean. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
1933
9 babies that year
Average age
83
years old
1941 SSA rank
#4,804
Tracked since 1924
Popularity
Maedean: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Maedean from the 1920s through to the 1940s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1930s, with 24 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1930s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Maedean 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 Maedean 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 Maedean
The name Maedean is an English variant of the name Madean, which has its roots in the Old English words "maed" and "ean." These words translate to "maiden" and "one," respectively, suggesting that the name Maedean originally meant "the one maiden" or "the only maiden."
In the early medieval period, the name Maedean was commonly used in Anglo-Saxon England, particularly among the noble and aristocratic classes. It gained popularity as a way to honor the Virgin Mary, who was often referred to as the "Maiden" in Christian traditions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Maedean can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where a landowner named Maedean is mentioned as holding estates in Wiltshire, England. This historical record suggests that the name was in use among the upper echelons of English society during the Norman Conquest period.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Maedean remained prevalent in England, with several notable figures bearing this name. For instance, Maedean of Amesbury (c. 1120 - 1187) was a renowned abbess and religious leader who presided over the Amesbury Abbey in Wiltshire during the 12th century.
In the 14th century, a noblewoman named Maedean de Montfort (c. 1310 - 1375) gained prominence as a influential figure in the court of King Edward III. She served as a lady-in-waiting to Queen Philippa of Hainault and was known for her philanthropic works.
Moving forward to the Tudor period, Maedean Seymour (c. 1510 - 1568) was a prominent member of the influential Seymour family. She was the sister of Jane Seymour, the third wife of King Henry VIII, and served as a lady-in-waiting to both Queen Anne Boleyn and Queen Catherine Parr.
In the realm of literature, the name Maedean was immortalized by the English poet John Donne (1572 - 1631) in his famous work "Song." In this poem, Donne addresses a woman named Maedean, celebrating her beauty and virtue.
While the name Maedean has fallen out of widespread use in modern times, it remains a part of England's rich cultural and historical heritage, with its roots stretching back to the Anglo-Saxon era and its association with nobility, religion, and literary works.
People
Maedean + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Maedean 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
Maedean: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Maedean?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Maedean 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 Maedean a common name?
We classify Maedean 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, 46 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Maedean most popular?
The single biggest year for Maedean was 1933, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Maedean is about 83 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Maedean a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Maedean 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.