Vadis
From Latin, meaning "you go" or "to go on an expedition".
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Vadis. It is a predominantly female name (94.6% of registrations). The average person named Vadis today is around 90 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Vadis births was 1927 (12 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Vadis. 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
- • The typical person named Vadis is about 90 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Vadis' were born before 1946.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Vadis. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
1927
12 babies that year
Average age
90
years old
1927 SSA rank
#4,750
Tracked since 1913
Gender
Gender distribution for Vadis
Vadis leans heavily female at 94.6% of total registrations, but 5 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Vadis as a male name
- Ranked #4,750 in 1927
- 5 male births in 1927
- Peak: 1927 (5 births)
Vadis as a female name
- Ranked #4,948 in 1938
- 5 female births in 1938
- Peak: 1915 (9 births)
Popularity
Vadis: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Vadis from the 1910s through to the 1930s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 35 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1910s peak, Vadis remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Vadis 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 Vadis 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 Vadis
The given name Vadis has its linguistic origins in Latin, where it is derived from the verb "vadere," meaning "to go" or "to walk." This name gained prominence during the Roman era and was initially associated with the concept of journeying or traveling.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Vadis can be found in the ancient Christian text "Quo Vadis," written in the late 1st or early 2nd century AD. This work recounts a legend about St. Peter's encounter with a vision of Christ while fleeing persecution in Rome. The phrase "Quo Vadis, Domine?" ("Where are you going, Lord?") became a central motif in the story, lending significance to the name Vadis.
Throughout the Middle Ages and the Renaissance period, the name Vadis was occasionally used, though not as widely as other Latin-derived names. One notable figure from this time was Vadis of Metz (c. 1050 - 1120), a French Benedictine monk and scholar known for his contributions to the development of polyphonic music.
In the 19th century, the name Vadis experienced a resurgence in popularity, partly due to the influence of the historical novel "Quo Vadis" by Henryk Sienkiewicz, published in 1896. The book, which dramatized the legend of St. Peter's encounter, brought renewed attention to the name and its association with the early Christian era.
One of the most famous individuals named Vadis was Vadis Rodríguez Lozada (1913 - 1989), a celebrated Puerto Rican actress and dancer. She gained international recognition for her performances in various theater productions and films, including the 1942 movie "Caribe" and the Broadway musical "Panama Hattie."
Another notable figure was Vadis Payne (1909 - 1988), an American author and journalist who wrote extensively about her travels and experiences in different parts of the world. Her memoir "The Whole World Over" (1940) chronicled her adventures as a young woman exploring various cultures and landscapes.
In the realm of sports, Vadis Konstantinidis (born 1964) is a former Greek professional basketball player who represented Greece in international competitions, including the EuroBasket and the Olympic Games in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Finally, Vadis Turner (born 1972) is an American actress and model who has appeared in various television shows and films, such as "Hercules" (1997) and "The Deep End" (2010).
People
Vadis + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Vadis as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with V
Other first names starting with V with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Vadis: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Vadis?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Vadis 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Vadis a common name?
We classify Vadis as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 92 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Vadis most popular?
The single biggest year for Vadis was 1927, when 12 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Vadis is about 90 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 Vadis in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Vadis a female name?
Yes, 94.6% of people registered as Vadis 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.
Is Vadis still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Vadis 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 Vadis 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 share the name Vadis?
Want to know how many Americans are named Vadis? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.