Rader
A Dutch given name meaning "counselor" or "advisor".
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Rader. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Rader today is around 23 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rader births was 1921 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rader. 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 Rader. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
1921
6 babies that year
Average age
23
years old
2021 SSA rank
#13,610
Tracked since 1920
Popularity
Rader: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rader from the 1920s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 21 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rader 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 Rader during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Rader
The name Rader is a Germanic name that can be traced back to the Old High German language. It is derived from the word "rad," which means "advice" or "counsel." The name likely originated in the 8th or 9th century in regions of present-day Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Rader can be found in the Codex Traditionum Corbeiensium, a medieval manuscript from the 9th century. This document mentions a person named Rader who was a landowner in the region of Westphalia, Germany.
In the 12th century, a monk named Rader of Liège is mentioned in historical records. He was known for his contributions to religious writings and his work as a scribe in the monastery of St. Laurent in Liège, Belgium.
During the Renaissance period, a German artist named Rader von Tann (c. 1480-1545) gained recognition for his woodcut illustrations and engravings. His works were often inspired by religious themes and depicted scenes from the Bible.
In the 17th century, a German philosopher and mathematician named Rader von Bamberg (1595-1668) made significant contributions to the field of mathematics. He is known for his work on logarithms and his collaboration with Johannes Kepler.
Another notable figure with the name Rader is the Austrian composer and organist Rader von Dittrichstein (1719-1786). He is remembered for his compositions for the organ and his contributions to the development of church music in the Baroque era.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who bore the name Rader. While the name has its roots in the Germanic languages, it has been used across various regions and cultures over the centuries, reflecting its enduring presence and significance.
People
Rader + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rader as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Rader: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rader?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rader 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 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Rader a common name?
We classify Rader as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 37 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rader most popular?
The single biggest year for Rader was 1921, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rader is about 23 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Rader a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Rader 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.
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.