Kadan Name Meaning & Historical Trends

Kadan

Pronunciation: KAH-dahn / KAY-dan

Meaning Rock or cliff Gender Boy
BOYS RANK
#10,173
TREND
849

Rank shows the name’s position among U.S. baby names for each gender in 2025. Trend shows how many places it rose or fell since 2024. Rank 1 is the most popular. Based on U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) data. Peak and lowest years are based on the number of boys named Kadan in the available records.

Fun Facts About the Name Kadan

  • 503 babies named Kadan: U.S. records list 503 babies given the name Kadan from 1880 through 2025. Even 7 girls received the name Kadan - about 1 girl for every 71 boys.

What Does the Name Kadan Mean?

Kadan is a personal name of Mongolian origin. It goes back to the Middle Mongol word qada(n), "rock" or "boulder" - the same word that appears in modern Mongolian as khad (хад), "rock, cliff." The literal sense of the name is therefore a rock or a crag. Spellings such as Qadan reflect the older way of writing the Mongol sound q, which English usually renders with a k.

Similar-looking names in other languages do not share this origin. The Czech town name Kadaň (German Kaaden), for instance, comes from a Czech word for a tub or vat and is a place name rather than a personal name derived from Mongol.

Kadan Name History & Origins

The best-documented early bearer of the name is Kadan, also written Qadan, a son of Ögedei Khan, the second Great Khan of the Mongol Empire. During the Mongol invasion of Europe in 1241, Kadan led one of the columns that crossed the Carpathian Mountains into Transylvania and Moldavia, then joined Batu Khan and the general Subutai at the Battle of Mohi in Hungary on 11 April 1241. After the Mongol victory there, Kadan pursued the fleeing Hungarian king Béla IV through Croatia and into Dalmatia. The campaign wound down after Ögedei's death in December 1241, and records of Kadan after that point are sparse.

The name itself is older than that campaign: it belongs to the Mongol naming tradition of words taken from the natural world, and the element behind it survives in ordinary Mongolian vocabulary as khad, "rock." Kadan became known in Europe because Latin and Persian chroniclers of the thirteenth century recorded the names of Mongol commanders, and the form Qadan in those accounts shows the older transcription. Kadan is still used as a given name in Mongolia. The same spelling occurs as a surname in other countries, but those uses cannot be assumed to come from the Mongol name.

How Popular is the Name Kadan?

Kadan has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2006. Its best rank was #2,681 in 2006.

U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.

Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.

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How the Name Kadan Shapes Your Personality and Life?

EXTREMES in fortune, health and spirituality. You are very versatile, idealistic and intuitive. You either enjoy great success or suffer abject misery. The solution is service to others. Use your leadership abilities for humanity and not for self-glorification. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.

Dependable, very down-to-earth and well grounded, you are always looking for meaningful work, a career where you can take pride in your work and do the best job you are capable of. Your prime desire is to build protected and secure environment at home and at work. You can be very persuasive in achieving goals and gaining objectives. You can be very detailed and well-organized and possess great organizational skills. At times you may appear too stubborn and overly critical to others, but your practical approach to life and productivity makes you one of the most beneficent members of community.

✦ Kadan's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Kadan's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.
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