Nadene
A feminine name derived from the Spanish "Nadine", meaning "hope".
Name Census estimates that about 825 living Americans carry the first name Nadene. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Nadene today is around 64 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nadene births was 1930 (43 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nadene. 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
825
~ 1 in 415,460 Americans
Peak year
1930
43 babies that year
Average age
64
years old
2024 SSA rank
#16,881
Tracked since 1909
Popularity
Nadene: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Nadene from the 1900s through to the 2020s, spanning 12 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1930s, with 350 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
Nadene 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 Nadene during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Nadenes live
The SSA's state-level files cover 12 states and territories. California, New York, Kentucky recorded the most babies named Nadene, while Texas, Pennsylvania, Minnesota recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 12 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Nadene
The given name Nadene is a relatively modern and uncommon name, with its origins tracing back to the early 20th century. It is believed to be derived from the French name Nadine, which is a feminine form of the male name Nadin. Nadin itself is a variant of the name Nadav, which has Hebrew roots meaning "generous" or "noble."
While the name Nadene does not appear to have any direct historical references or mentions in ancient texts, religious scriptures, or significant historical records, its connection to the Hebrew name Nadav implies a potential association with the biblical figure of the same name, who was one of the sons of Aaron, the brother of Moses.
The earliest recorded examples of the name Nadene are from the early 1900s, though it remained relatively uncommon throughout the 20th century. One of the earliest notable individuals with the name Nadene was Nadene Walker, an American actress and dancer who was active in the 1930s and 1940s.
Other notable individuals with the first name Nadene include:
1. Nadene Caldwell (1923-2009), an American actress and dancer who appeared in several Hollywood films in the 1940s and 1950s.
2. Nadene Goldfoot (born 1934), an American author and educator known for her works on Jewish history and culture.
3. Nadene Chandler (born 1959), a British actress and television presenter best known for her role in the long-running soap opera "Coronation Street."
4. Nadene Goss (born 1966), a former professional tennis player from Australia who competed on the WTA Tour in the 1980s and 1990s.
5. Nadene Lomu (born 1975), a New Zealand rugby union player and the wife of the late legendary All Blacks player Jonah Lomu.
While the name Nadene has never been among the most popular given names, it has maintained a consistent presence throughout the 20th century and into the 21st century, likely due to its unique sound and connection to the more well-known name Nadine.
People
Nadene + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nadene as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with N
Other first names starting with N with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Nadene: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nadene?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 825 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nadene 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 415,460 US residents.
Is Nadene a common name?
We classify Nadene as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,895 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nadene most popular?
The single biggest year for Nadene was 1930, when 43 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nadene is about 64 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Nadene a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nadene 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.