⚧ Unisex◎ English / German / Sanskrit◈ 2 syllables
"Knowledge, rule"
From English / German / Sanskrit
Vada means famous ruler or rose — from Germanic roots, or it may connect to the Sanskrit vada (statement/knowledge). My Girl's Vada Sultenfuss (Anna Chlumsky) is one of cinema's most beloved coming-of-age characters. Four letters that carry a 1991 summer, a first kiss, and the heartbreak of childhood's end.
My Girl's Vada is one of cinema's most beloved coming-of-age characters.
Four letters with a vintage, warm sound: VAH-dah.
The meaning famous ruler gives it regal energy.
The V-opening is distinctive and strong.
It has a gorgeous vintage-revival quality.
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The vibe of Vada
My Girlcoming-of-agefamous rulerV-openingvintagesummer of 1991first kissheartbreak
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Origin & history of Vada
Germanic waid (famous) + wald (ruler)→Vada / or Sanskrit vada (knowledge)
1
English / German / Sanskrit roots
Vada may come from Germanic roots meaning famous ruler or from Sanskrit meaning knowledge/statement. My Girl (1991) features Vada Sultenfuss (Anna Chlumsky) — one of cinema's most beloved coming-of-age characters, dealing with death, first love, and growing up.
2
First recorded
Earliest known use: My Girl (1991) popularised the name.
3
Today
Vada remains a beloved choice, ranking #916 in the US. 12,785 babies have been named Vada since 1880.
◈ Sources: Behind the Name, SSA data
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How popular is Vada?
2020peak year
The name Vada reached its peak in 2020, with 335 registrations (ranked #813). The name has actually been around since 1880 — over a century — though it took until recently to find its widest audience. Since the peak, the name has eased to around #916 today, averaging about 298 new babies per year. Vada's usage has held roughly steady recently. Across all years on record, approximately 12,785 American babies have carried this name.
Year-by-year registrations1880–2024 · U.S. Social Security data
Vada's Life Path 6 is the nurturer's number — nurturing through growing up. People named Vada tend to be warm, precocious, and gifted at navigating childhood's most difficult passages.
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Navigates difficult passages
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Precocious warmth
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Summer-of-1991 nostalgia
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Famous ruler
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Coming-of-age courage
V4
A1
D4
A1
Sum: 10 → Life path 1
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Personality of Vada
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Independent & bold
These individuals chart their own course. They lead, they don't follow.
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Ambitious drive
Quiet determination sits behind everything they do.
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Original ideas
Their minds work differently — seeing angles others walk past.
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