Yadira
An Arabic feminine name meaning "to visit or visit frequently".
Name Census estimates that about 12,347 living Americans carry the first name Yadira. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Yadira today is around 29 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Yadira births was 2005 (593 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Yadira. 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.
People living today
12K
~ 1 in 27,760 Americans
Peak year
2005
593 babies that year
Average age
29
years old
1993 SSA rank
#3,436
Tracked since 1949
Gender
Gender distribution for Yadira
Out of the 12,800 babies given the name Yadira since 1880, 99.8% were registered as female. The name sits firmly on the female side of the spectrum, with only a handful of male registrations across the entire dataset.
Yadira as a male name
- Ranked #7,619 in 1993
- 7 male births in 1993
- Peak: 1993 (7 births)
Yadira as a female name
- Ranked #3,436 in 2024
- 46 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2005 (593 births)
Popularity
Yadira: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Yadira from the 1940s through to the 2020s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 4,345 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Yadira 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 Yadira during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Yadiras live
The SSA's state-level files cover 35 states and territories. California, Texas, Illinois recorded the most babies named Yadira, while Iowa, Connecticut, Nebraska recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 316 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Yadira
The name Yadira is of Spanish origin, derived from the Arabic name Jadira, which means "worthy" or "valuable." It is believed to have originated in the 8th or 9th century during the Islamic rule in Spain, when Arabic names and words were introduced into the Spanish language.
The name Yadira can also be traced back to the Arabic word "jadir," meaning "wall" or "fortification," suggesting a connection to strength and protection. It is possible that the name was initially given to girls born within the fortified walls of cities or castles during that era.
While there are no direct references to the name Yadira in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it is likely that the name was used among the Muslim population in Spain during the medieval period. The earliest recorded examples of the name date back to the 12th century, when it appeared in historical documents and records from the region.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Yadira. One of the earliest known figures was Yadira al-Andalusiyya, a 12th-century poet and philosopher from Andalusia, Spain, who was renowned for her contributions to literature and intellectual discourse.
Another prominent figure was Yadira de Castilla (1245-1312), a Spanish noblewoman and patron of the arts, who played a significant role in the cultural renaissance of her time. Her patronage supported many artists and writers, contributing to the preservation of cultural heritage.
In the 16th century, Yadira de Mendoza (1510-1582) was a Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied expeditions to the Americas and played a role in the colonization efforts of the Spanish Empire.
In the realm of literature, Yadira Núñez (1918-1995) was a renowned Cuban poet and writer, whose works explored themes of identity, feminism, and social justice. Her poetry collections, such as "Palabras de mujer" (Words of a Woman), have been widely acclaimed and studied.
More recently, Yadira Caraveo (born 1964) is a Mexican-American physicist and astronomer, known for her groundbreaking research on gamma-ray bursts and her work at the VERITAS observatory. She has made significant contributions to the field of astrophysics and has been recognized with numerous awards and honors.
People
Yadira + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Yadira as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with Y
Other first names starting with Y with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Yadira: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Yadira?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 12,347 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Yadira 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 27,760 US residents.
Is Yadira a common name?
We classify Yadira as "Uncommon". It ranks above 98% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 12,800 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Yadira most popular?
The single biggest year for Yadira was 2005, when 593 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Yadira is about 29 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Yadira a female name?
Yes, 99.8% of people registered as Yadira 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.
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.