Vada
Vada was the 886th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 302 babies. Its best year was 1901, when it ranked 334th; the most babies were born in 2020 (335). Over the last ten years it has moved up 198 places. More babies were named Vada in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin not documented
Say it VAY-duh /ˈveɪdə/
- Rank in 2025
- #886 girls, down 73 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 302girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2020335 babies
- Total since 1880
- 13,089babies recorded
What does the name Vada mean?
Vada is an American name used since at least 1880, with no documented etymology; Wiktionary lists it without an origin. It may be a variant of Veda or of the German-derived names Valda or Wanda, but no source shows this. It became known to a later generation through Vada Sultenfuss, the heroine of the 1991 film My Girl. We do not give it a meaning.
How sure is this? Not documented. Origin undocumented.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Vada', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (our computation), SSA (public domain)
Vada popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 162 since 1959.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #886 | 302 |
| 2020 | #813 | 335 |
| 2010 | #2,092 | 95 |
| 2000 | #3,165 | 44 |
| 1990 | — | — |
| 1980 | #6,773 | 10 |
| 1970 | #3,570 | 18 |
| 1960 | #1,746 | 43 |
| 1950 | #1,348 | 47 |
| 1940 | #668 | 108 |
| 1930 | #487 | 188 |
| 1920 | #496 | 194 |
| 1910 | #380 | 107 |
| 1900 | #428 | 61 |
| 1890 | #393 | 42 |
| 1880 | #626 | 9 |
How popular is Vada, counting every spelling?
Vada has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #860 for girls in 2025, against #886 on the official list.
How many kids will share the name Vada?
302 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Vada (0.08 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Vada born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 28 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Vada.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Vada?
About 6,300 people born in the US named Vada are alive today, with a median age of 11; half are between 6 and 30. That makes Vada a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Vada by state
How common Vada was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Iowa (3.0×), Wisconsin (2.5×), Kentucky (2.5×), Michigan (2.4×), Ohio (2.3×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in South Carolina, Maryland, Oregon.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Vada: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Vada, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Vada · Sibling names for Vada
Questions about the name Vada
How popular is the name Vada?
Vada was the 886th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 302 babies. Its best year was 1901, when it ranked 334th; the most babies were born in 2020 (335). Over the last ten years it has moved up 198 places. More babies were named Vada in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Vada a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Vada in the US.
Where is Vada most popular?
In 2021–2025, Vada was most common in Iowa (0.58 per 1,000 girls), followed by West Virginia and Wisconsin.