Wadeeah
An Arabic feminine name meaning "bright, brilliant, or radiant".
Name Census estimates that about 7 living Americans carry the first name Wadeeah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Wadeeah today is around 50 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Wadeeah births was 1978 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Wadeeah. 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 Wadeeah. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
7
~ 1 in 48,964,905 Americans
Peak year
1978
8 babies that year
Average age
50
years old
1978 SSA rank
#7,632
Tracked since 1978
Popularity
Wadeeah: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Wadeeah 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 Wadeeah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0 | 8 | 8 |
Geography
Where Wadeeahs live
Origin
Meaning and history of Wadeeah
The name Wadeeah has its origins in the Arabic language and culture. It is derived from the Arabic root word "wada'a," which means "to take leave" or "to bid farewell." The name is believed to have emerged during the medieval period in the Middle East.
Wadeeah is a feminine name, and its meaning is often interpreted as "the one who bids farewell" or "the one who leaves behind." This name may have been given to children with the hope that they would become travelers or explorers, leaving their mark on the world.
While there are no direct references to the name Wadeeah in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it is possible that variations of the name were used in the region during the early Islamic era. Similar spellings or variations of the name, such as "Wadeea" or "Wadiah," may have existed in different regions of the Arab world.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Wadeeah can be found in the writings of the 12th-century Arab poet and philosopher, Al-Ghazali. He mentioned a woman named Wadeeah in one of his works, describing her as a wise and learned individual.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Wadeeah. One such person was Wadeeah bint Atta, a renowned scholar and teacher who lived in the 9th century CE. She was known for her expertise in Islamic jurisprudence and her teachings in the city of Basra, which was a center of learning during that time.
Another notable figure was Wadeeah al-Maqdisi, a 12th-century Arab geographer and traveler. She is believed to have traveled extensively throughout the Middle East, documenting her journeys and observations in her writings.
In the 14th century, Wadeeah al-Andalusi was a prominent poet and literary figure from the Iberian Peninsula. Her works celebrated the beauty of nature and explored themes of love and spirituality.
During the Ottoman Empire, Wadeeah Sultan was a prominent figure who lived in the 16th century. She was a member of the imperial family and played an influential role in the court of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent.
In more recent times, Wadeeah Mahmoud was an Egyptian writer and activist who lived in the 20th century. She was known for her advocacy of women's rights and her efforts to promote education and literacy in her country.
People
Wadeeah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Wadeeah as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with W
Other first names starting with W with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Wadeeah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Wadeeah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 7 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Wadeeah 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 48,964,905 US residents.
Is Wadeeah a common name?
We classify Wadeeah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 23.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 8 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Wadeeah most popular?
The single biggest year for Wadeeah was 1978, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Wadeeah is about 50 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 Wadeeah in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Wadeeah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Wadeeah 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 Wadeeah still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Wadeeah 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 Wadeeah 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 Americans are named Wadeeah?
Want to know how many Americans are named Wadeeah? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.