Mahde
A Persian name meaning "the guided one" or "the guided path".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Mahde. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Mahde today is around 24 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Mahde births was 2002 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Mahde. 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 Mahde. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2002
5 babies that year
Average age
24
years old
2002 SSA rank
#11,797
Tracked since 2002
Popularity
Mahde: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Mahde 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 Mahde 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 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Mahde
The name Mahde has its origins in the Arabic language and culture, dating back to the 7th century CE. It is derived from the word "mahdi," which means "the rightly guided one" or "the one who is guided." This name holds significant religious and historical significance in Islamic tradition.
The name Mahde first appeared in religious texts and historical records associated with the concept of the Mahdi, a messianic figure in Islamic eschatology. According to Islamic belief, the Mahdi will appear towards the end of times to establish justice and peace on Earth. This concept is deeply rooted in the teachings of Islam and has been a subject of intense discussion and interpretation throughout the centuries.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mahde can be found in the writings of the renowned Islamic scholar and theologian, Al-Ghazali (1058-1111 CE). In his work, "The Revival of the Religious Sciences," he discussed the concept of the Mahdi and the significance of this figure in Islamic tradition.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Mahde. One of the most prominent was Mahde ibn Ali al-Ridha (766-818 CE), the eighth Imam in Shia Islam. He was highly revered for his knowledge, piety, and leadership, and his teachings continue to be studied and respected by Shia Muslims to this day.
Another notable figure was Mahde al-Baghdadi (d. 1031 CE), a renowned Sufi mystic and philosopher from Baghdad. He was known for his spiritual writings and his contributions to the development of Islamic mysticism.
In the 12th century, Mahde al-Jili (1166-1240 CE) was a prominent Sufi master and theologian from Andalusia (modern-day Spain). His works, such as "The Perfect Man," had a significant impact on the development of Sufi thought and influenced subsequent generations of Islamic scholars and mystics.
During the Ottoman Empire, Mahde Pasha (1456-1523 CE) was a renowned military leader and statesman. He played a crucial role in the expansion of the Ottoman Empire and served as the governor of several provinces.
In more recent times, Mahde Abdul-Raouf Ouassini (1879-1968) was a prominent Moroccan scholar and leader of the Istiqlal Party, which played a significant role in Morocco's struggle for independence from French colonial rule.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who bore the name Mahde throughout history, each leaving their mark in various fields, including religion, philosophy, politics, and military leadership.
People
Mahde + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Mahde 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
Mahde: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Mahde?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Mahde 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Mahde a common name?
We classify Mahde as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Mahde most popular?
The single biggest year for Mahde was 2002, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Mahde is about 24 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 Mahde in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Mahde a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Mahde 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 Mahde still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Mahde 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 Mahde 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 Mahde as a first name?
For a quick modern take, check how many people share the name Mahde on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.