Neda
A Persian feminine name meaning "voice" or "calling".
Name Census estimates that about 1,559 living Americans carry the first name Neda. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Neda today is around 40 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Neda births was 1987 (48 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Neda. 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
1.6K
~ 1 in 219,855 Americans
Peak year
1987
48 babies that year
Average age
40
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,894
Tracked since 1889
Popularity
Neda: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Neda from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 15 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 347 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Neda 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 Neda during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Nedas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. California, Illinois, New York recorded the most babies named Neda, while Florida, Texas, New Jersey recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 59 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Neda
The name Neda has its origins in the Persian language and is believed to have derived from the ancient Persian word "naida," which means "voice" or "call." The name can be traced back to the ancient Persian civilization that flourished in the region now known as Iran, dating back to around the 6th century BCE.
In ancient Persian literature and poetry, the name Neda is often associated with the concept of beauty, grace, and elegance. It is mentioned in several works of classical Persian literature, such as the Shahnameh, the epic poem written by the renowned poet Ferdowsi in the late 10th century.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Neda can be found in the writings of the Persian philosopher and poet Rumi, who lived during the 13th century. In his poetic works, Rumi often referred to Neda as a symbol of divine love and spiritual awakening.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Neda. One of the most famous was Neda Agha-Soltan (1982-2009), an Iranian philosophy student who was tragically killed during the post-election protests in Iran in 2009. Her death, captured on video, became a powerful symbol of the struggle for freedom and democracy in Iran.
Another notable figure was Neda Anjoman (1918-2005), an Iranian poet and writer who was known for her works that explored themes of love, loss, and the human condition. Her poetry collections, such as "The Goddess of Youth," are widely celebrated in the Persian literary canon.
In the field of arts and culture, Neda Arazi (1936-2020) was a renowned Iranian singer and actress who gained popularity for her performances in Persian classical music and her roles in several Iranian films during the 1960s and 1970s.
Neda Hassanpour (born 1991) is a contemporary Iranian chess player who has achieved significant success in international tournaments, becoming a Woman Grandmaster in 2016 and representing Iran in numerous chess Olympiads.
Lastly, Neda Agha-Soltan (1982-2009) was an Iranian student and philosopher whose tragic death during the 2009 Iranian election protests sparked international outrage and became a symbol of the fight for democracy and human rights in Iran.
People
Neda + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Neda 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
Neda: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Neda?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,559 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Neda 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 219,855 US residents.
Is Neda a common name?
We classify Neda as "Rare". It ranks above 92.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,174 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Neda most popular?
The single biggest year for Neda was 1987, when 48 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Neda is about 40 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Neda a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Neda 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.