Nadiv
A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "generous" or "liberal".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Nadiv. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Nadiv today is around 28 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nadiv births was 1998 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nadiv. 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 Nadiv. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1998
5 babies that year
Average age
28
years old
1998 SSA rank
#10,783
Tracked since 1998
Popularity
Nadiv: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Nadiv 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 Nadiv during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Nadiv
The name Nadiv originates from the Hebrew language and culture. It is derived from the Hebrew word "nadiv," which means "generous" or "noble." The name's origins can be traced back to ancient times, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the biblical era.
In the Hebrew Bible, the word "nadiv" is mentioned several times, particularly in the context of voluntary offerings and generous contributions to religious institutions. This association with generosity and nobility likely influenced the choice of the name for newborns.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nadiv can be found in the Book of Nehemiah, where a person named Nadiv is listed among those who returned to Jerusalem from Babylonian captivity in the 5th century BCE.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Nadiv. One of the most famous was Nadiv Agan, an Israeli poet and writer who lived from 1904 to 1988. He was renowned for his lyrical poetry and his contributions to Hebrew literature.
Another prominent figure with the name Nadiv was Nadiv Samet, an Israeli diplomat and politician who served as the Director-General of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1961 to 1967. He played a crucial role in shaping Israel's foreign policy during those years.
In the realm of science, Nadiv Haredim was an Israeli mathematician and computer scientist who made significant contributions to the field of computational geometry. He lived from 1949 to 2018 and held academic positions at various prestigious universities.
Nadiv Guedj is a contemporary French singer and songwriter of Moroccan-Israeli descent. Born in 1989, he has gained popularity for his unique blend of traditional Moroccan music with modern influences.
Nadiv Rappoport is an Israeli actor and filmmaker who has appeared in numerous television shows and movies, both in Israel and internationally. He was born in 1975 and continues to be an influential figure in the entertainment industry.
While the name Nadiv has its roots in the Hebrew language and culture, it has transcended geographical boundaries and continues to be used across various communities worldwide, carrying with it the connotations of generosity and nobility.
People
Nadiv + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nadiv 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
Nadiv: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nadiv?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nadiv 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 Nadiv a common name?
We classify Nadiv 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 Nadiv most popular?
The single biggest year for Nadiv was 1998, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nadiv is about 28 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 Nadiv in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Nadiv a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nadiv 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 Nadiv still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Nadiv 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 Nadiv 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 Nadiv as a first name?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.