Madai
Feminine
Madai is a short name with an old face: it appears in the first book of the Bible as the name of a founding ancestor. In American records it is a girl's name, three quick syllables that end on a bright ai.
How old is the name Madai?
Madai first appears in US birth records in 1979 — 46 years ago. The typical Madai alive today was born around 2005, making them about 20 years old. About 600 people named Madai are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Madai most popular?
Madai peaked in 2002, reaching #4621 nationally. See the whole 2002 chart.
Where it comes from
Origin, sound and short forms
Our story of Madai
In the Table of Nations in Genesis, the sons of Japheth are listed one by one, and Madai among them stands for the Medes, the people of the Iranian plateau whose kingdom later joined with Persia. The Hebrew Bible uses Madai for their land and their people alike. For centuries it was a name in a genealogy rather than a name for a child. The American Madai takes it out of the list and gives it to a daughter, whether or not the family had that page of Genesis in mind.
Meaningnot established
Not established
In Genesis, Madai is a son of Japheth and the ancestor of the Medes, and the name is simply the Hebrew name of that people. The American girl's name may come from there or may be a new build, and the record does not say.
Pronouncing Madai
muh-DYE
Most families stress the last syllable. In Spanish it is said mah-DAH-ee, in three syllables.
Nicknames for Madai
Moderate
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
- 1979
- Most girls named
- 200527 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #4621reached in 2002
- Change vs 2023
- −54.5%5 in 2024, from 11
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.
Madai in other languages
Strongest US states over the last decade: Texas.
Madais among us
people named Madai 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
Madai 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, rare and easy to say once heard.
- It has a real presence in the oldest pages of the Bible.
- People will not know how to say it at first and may say MAY-day.
- There is no recorded meaning to give beyond its place in Genesis.
Nobody names a baby alone.
Put Madai to the vote.
Add it to a family vote or a couple’s swipe deck — the other person gets one card, a simple answer and room to say why. No app, no account for them.
Only the people you invite can see your list.
Already decided on Madai? Hide it among decoys and let them guess.
What they receive
Someone added a name to your list
Madai
Feminine
Frequently asked
- How many Madais are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 600 people named Madai are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Madai in 2025?
- Madai is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 girl names.
- Will my child share the name Madai with classmates?
- Madai 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 Madai? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Madai and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
Compare side by sideIn a hurry? Just pick a winner — one tap, no sign-up, and you see how everyone else voted.
Weighing a whole shortlist? Add the rest in the builder, or settle it with a bracket.
Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
No advertising trackers and no data sellinghow we handle your dataindependent and founder-run, about Name Battle