Fun Facts About the Name Kadija
- 606 babies named Kadija: U.S. records list 606 babies given the name Kadija from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Kadija Mean?
Kadija is a spelling variant of Khadija (Arabic خديجة), and its meaning comes from the Arabic root kh-d-j (خ د ج), which is connected with premature birth. The verb khadaja means to give birth to a child before it is fully formed, and the name is therefore usually explained literally as "premature child" or "one born early."
Some modern name lists offer "trustworthy" as the meaning. That is not the word's literal sense; it reflects the reputation of the best-known bearer of the name, Khadija bint Khuwaylid, who was a respected merchant in Mecca before her marriage to the Prophet Muhammad. The two senses should not be confused: the first is etymological, the second is a later association attached to a particular person.
The spelling Kadija does not change the meaning; it is simply an adaptation of the Arabic name in languages that write the name with a plain k and a j. It is not related to the Arabic qāḍī ("judge"), which appears in names such as Kadi, nor to Kadir/Qadir, which comes from a different root.
Kadija Name History & Origins
The name entered history through Khadija bint Khuwaylid (about 555 - 619 CE), a wealthy merchant of Mecca and the first wife of the Prophet Muhammad. She was the mother of his daughter Fatima, and in Islamic tradition she is remembered as the first person to accept his message. Because of her place in early Islamic history, the name spread wherever Islam spread, from Arabia to North Africa, Anatolia, the Balkans, South Asia, and West Africa.
Different languages reshaped the Arabic original in different ways. Turkish turned خديجة into Hatice, losing the initial kh- sound and softening the middle consonant. In Bosnian, Albanian, and other Balkan Muslim communities, the name was kept closer to its Arabic shape and written Kadija: the Arabic kh becomes a plain k, and the Arabic j is pronounced as y in those languages. That Balkan form is the one behind the spelling used here.
English speakers encountered the name mainly through Arabic, and several spellings circulate: Khadija, Khadijah, Khadeeja, and the simplified Kadija. The last is also found in parts of West Africa and among Muslim families in Europe and North America as an alternative to the fuller Arabic transliteration.
How Popular is the Name Kadija?
Kadija 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 1994. Its best rank was #2,221 in 1994.
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.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #11,378 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2024 | #16,327 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2023 | #11,658 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2022 | #9,329 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 2021 | #10,654 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2020 | #7,054 | 16 | 0.0010% |
| 2019 | #8,824 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2018 | #9,448 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2017 | #7,240 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2016 | #5,707 | 23 | 0.0013% |
| 2015 | #7,433 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2014 | #7,470 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2013 | #7,959 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 2012 | #10,045 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2011 | #6,710 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 2010 | #6,765 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 2009 | #7,869 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2008 | #7,913 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2007 | #8,294 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2006 | #5,454 | 25 | 0.0013% |
| 2005 | #6,984 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2004 | #7,603 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2003 | #7,037 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2002 | #6,864 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2001 | #7,122 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2000 | #6,975 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1999 | #7,958 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1998 | #7,760 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1997 | #4,286 | 25 | 0.0014% |
| 1996 | #4,954 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 1995 | #4,755 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 1994 | #2,221 | 60 | 0.0034% |
| 1993 | #3,377 | 33 | 0.0018% |
| 1992 | #9,070 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1991 | #12,188 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1990 | #12,031 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1989 | #7,695 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1988 | #10,975 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1986 | #11,725 | 5 | 0.0003% |
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 Kadija 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.
You desire to inspire and lead, to control other's affairs. You are giving, courageous and bold, action oriented,energetic and strong willed. You want to make a difference in the world, and this attitude often attracts you to cultural interests, politics, social issues, and the cultivation of your creative talents.
✦ Kadija's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Kadija's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.