Mada
Feminine
Mada is a short, old name of two syllables, rare and simple. It may be a clipped Madeline or Maude, and it has the plain charm of names from an earlier America.
How old is the name Mada?
Mada first appears in US birth records in 1887 — 138 years ago. The typical Mada alive today was born around 1921, making them about 104 years old. About 100 people named Mada are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Mada most popular?
Mada peaked in 1891, reaching #1006 nationally. See the whole 1891 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
Origin, sound and short forms
Our story of Mada
Families of an earlier generation often cut long names down to two syllables and wrote the short form on the birth record, and Mada looks like one of those, the front of Madeline or Madalena kept and the rest let go. It is a name as simple as a name can be, easy to call and easy to write, and it has kept its plainness because so few have carried it.
Meaningnot established
Not established
No source records the origin of Mada. It may shorten Madeline, Madge or Maude, and no record says which.
Pronouncing Mada
MAY-duh
Two syllables, stressed on the first. Some say MAH-duh.
Nicknames for Mada
Limited
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1887
- Most girls named
- 192021 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #1006reached in 1891
- Change vs 2000
- 0.0%5 in 2024, from 5
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Madas among us
people named Mada are estimated to be alive in the US today
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
Questions parents actually ask
Fashion outlook
Mada sits outside the current charts, and that is its own kind of answer: naming cycles can only date the names they carried up. A name this rare has no decade stamped on it — it cannot go out of fashion, because it was never in.
Based on 146 years of naming cycles. How we read them
The trade-off
- It is short and easy to say.
- It is almost certainly unique among the people she will meet.
- People will hear Mata or Madda and spell it that way.
- There is no recorded meaning to give when someone asks.
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Mada
Feminine
Frequently asked
- How many Madas are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 100 people named Mada are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Mada in 2025?
- Mada is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 girl names.
- Will my child share the name Mada with classmates?
- Mada will almost certainly be the only one in school.
More M names
The most-given names starting with M, all years combined.
Mary#125 · Margaret#112 · Michelle#465 · Melissa#419 · Maria#87 · Martha#712 · Marie#617 · Mildred#1962
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Mada? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Mada and another name?
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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