Vardaman
Strong, flourishing, associated with the oak tree.
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Vardaman. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Vardaman today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Vardaman births was 1911 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Vardaman. 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 Vardaman. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1911
8 babies that year
Average age
-
1927 SSA rank
#4,755
Tracked since 1911
Popularity
Vardaman: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Vardaman from the 1910s through to the 1920s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 8 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1910s peak, Vardaman remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Vardaman 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 Vardaman during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Vardamans live
Origin
Meaning and history of Vardaman
The name Vardaman has its origins in the Sanskrit language, which was the classical language of ancient India. It is derived from the words "varda" meaning "prosperous" and "mana" meaning "mind" or "soul." The name can be interpreted to mean "one with a prosperous mind or soul."
In ancient Hindu texts and scriptures, such as the Vedas and Upanishads, the name Vardaman is mentioned as a name given to individuals who were thought to possess wisdom, intelligence, and spiritual enlightenment. It was considered an auspicious name bestowed upon those who were believed to have a deep understanding of the cosmic order and the nature of existence.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Vardaman can be traced back to the 6th century BCE in various ancient Indian texts and historical records. One of the earliest known individuals to bear this name was Vardaman Mahavira, a spiritual teacher and the 24th Tirthankar (ford-maker) of Jainism, who lived around 599-527 BCE.
Throughout the centuries, several notable figures in Indian history have borne the name Vardaman. Among them was Vardaman, a ruler of the Kadamba Dynasty in the 6th century CE, who was known for his patronage of the arts and literature. Another prominent individual was Vardaman Mahavira Kulashekhar, a 12th-century Jain scholar and philosopher renowned for his contributions to the study of Jain scriptures and logic.
In more recent times, one of the most well-known individuals with the name Vardaman was Vardaman Malviya (1879-1963), an Indian freedom fighter, social reformer, and politician. He played a significant role in the Indian independence movement and was a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi.
Another notable figure was Vardaman Raghunath Madhulikar (1901-1984), a renowned Indian mathematician and educator who made significant contributions to the field of mathematics education. He was honored with the prestigious Padma Bhushan award by the Government of India for his services to the nation.
While the name Vardaman has its roots in ancient Indian culture and tradition, it has also gained popularity in other parts of the world, particularly among communities with ties to Indian diaspora. However, its use as a first name has been relatively uncommon compared to its historical significance in Indian history and literature.
People
Vardaman + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Vardaman 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
Vardaman: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Vardaman?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Vardaman 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 - US residents.
Is Vardaman a common name?
We classify Vardaman as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 13 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Vardaman most popular?
The single biggest year for Vardaman was 1911, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Vardaman is about 0 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 Vardaman in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Vardaman a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Vardaman 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 Vardaman still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Vardaman 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 Vardaman 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 Vardaman?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.