Xanadu
An English name referring to the palace of the Mongolian ruler Kublai Khan.
Name Census estimates that about 10 living Americans carry the first name Xanadu. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Xanadu today is around 33 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Xanadu births was 1991 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Xanadu. 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 Xanadu. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
10
~ 1 in 34,275,434 Americans
Peak year
1991
5 babies that year
Average age
33
years old
1993 SSA rank
#15,738
Tracked since 1991
Popularity
Xanadu: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Xanadu 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 Xanadu during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0 | 10 | 10 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Xanadu
The given name Xanadu is derived from the Sanskrit word "Shandan", which means "stately". It was originally a term used to describe the ancient capital of Kublai Khan's Yuan dynasty in modern-day Mongolia. The name is closely associated with the famous poem "Kubla Khan" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, written in 1797, which references the magnificent summer palace of the Mongol ruler.
The word "Xanadu" first appeared in English literature through Coleridge's poem, which was inspired by his reading about the city's splendor in the travel writings of Marco Polo. The name gained popularity as a romanticized representation of an exotic and opulent paradise, symbolizing a place of grandeur and mystical allure.
In ancient times, the name Xanadu was not commonly used as a personal name. However, it gained recognition and popularity as a first name in the 20th century, likely influenced by the cultural impact of Coleridge's poem and the romanticized notion of the ancient Mongol city.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Xanadu was Xanadu Weyr (1905-1991), an American artist and writer known for her works on Native American culture and mythology. Another notable figure was Xanadu Doherty (1919-2007), an Australian actress and singer who appeared in numerous stage productions and films throughout the mid-20th century.
In the literary world, Xanadu Jones (1928-2012) was an acclaimed American poet and educator, known for her works exploring themes of identity and social justice. Xanadu Purnell (1940-2018) was a celebrated British choreographer and dancer who made significant contributions to contemporary dance performances.
Another prominent individual with the name Xanadu was Xanadu Mbeki (1951-2020), a South African diplomat and political activist who played a crucial role in the anti-apartheid movement and served as an ambassador for her country in several nations.
While the name Xanadu is relatively rare, it has gained recognition through its association with the ancient Mongol city and its romanticized depiction in literature and popular culture. The name evokes a sense of exoticism, grandeur, and mystical allure, making it a unique and intriguing choice for personal names.
People
Xanadu + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Xanadu as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with X
Other first names starting with X with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Xanadu: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Xanadu?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 10 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Xanadu 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 34,275,434 US residents.
Is Xanadu a common name?
We classify Xanadu as "Very Rare". It ranks above 28.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Xanadu most popular?
The single biggest year for Xanadu was 1991, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Xanadu is about 33 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 Xanadu in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Xanadu a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Xanadu 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 Xanadu still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Xanadu 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 Xanadu 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 are called Xanadu?
You can see how many people have the name Xanadu on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.