Nevada
A Spanish-derived name referring to snow-capped mountains or snowy terrain.
Name Census estimates that about 2,417 living Americans carry the first name Nevada. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 81.6% of registrations being female. The average person named Nevada today is around 32 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nevada births was 1995 (74 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nevada. 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
2.4K
~ 1 in 141,810 Americans
Peak year
1995
74 babies that year
Average age
32
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,005
Tracked since 1880
Gender
Gender distribution for Nevada
Nevada leans heavily female at 81.6% of total registrations, but 710 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Nevada as a male name
- Ranked #7,570 in 2024
- 11 male births in 2024
- Peak: 1995 (30 births)
Nevada as a female name
- Ranked #4,005 in 2024
- 37 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2003 (60 births)
Popularity
Nevada: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Nevada from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 15 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 569 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Nevada remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Nevada 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 Nevada during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Nevadas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 15 states and territories. Kentucky, California, Pennsylvania recorded the most babies named Nevada, while West Virginia, North Dakota, Minnesota recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 15 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Nevada
The name Nevada is derived from the Spanish word "nevada," which means "snow-covered" or "snowy." This name was given to the U.S. state of Nevada due to its mountainous terrain and snowy peaks. The name itself originated from the Spanish language and has its roots in the Latin word "nivatus," meaning "covered with snow."
The earliest recorded use of the name Nevada can be traced back to the 19th century when it was designated as the name of the U.S. state in 1864. However, the name itself was likely used by Spanish explorers and settlers in the region long before it became an official state name.
In terms of historical references, the name Nevada does not appear to have any significant mentions in ancient texts, religious scriptures, or historical records prior to its association with the U.S. state. It is primarily a modern name that gained prominence in the 19th century.
Throughout history, there have been a few notable individuals with the first name Nevada. One of the earliest recorded individuals was Nevada Seminole (1892-1979), a member of the Seminole Tribe of Florida and a prominent figure in the preservation of Seminole culture and traditions.
Another notable figure was Nevada Leroy Douglass (1905-1974), an American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Washington state from 1937 to 1943.
Nevada Rae Browning (1932-2008) was an American actress and singer who appeared in several films and television shows during the mid-20th century.
Nevada Smith (born 1947), whose real name is Steven Patrick Kilbey, is an Australian rock musician and singer-songwriter, best known as the lead singer and co-founder of the band The Church.
Nevada Caeden (born 1987) is an American singer and songwriter, known for her work in the genres of pop and R&B.
While the name Nevada may have been inspired by the snowy landscapes of the American West, it has also gained popularity as a unique and distinctive name for individuals around the world, transcending its geographical origins.
People
Nevada + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nevada 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
Nevada: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nevada?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2,417 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nevada 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 141,810 US residents.
Is Nevada a common name?
We classify Nevada as "Rare". It ranks above 94.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 3,858 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nevada most popular?
The single biggest year for Nevada was 1995, when 74 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nevada is about 32 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Nevada a female name?
Yes, 81.6% of people registered as Nevada 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.