Declining since 1986, #8,860 for girls today.
Popularity of Kady since 1970
Babies named Kady per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1970s | 74 |
| 1980s | 602 |
| 1990s | 958 |
| 2000s | 780 |
| 2010s | 347 |
| 2020s | 124 |
Meaning & origin
Kady is a modern spelling variant of Katie, first recorded in the U.S. in 1970. It reached its peak popularity in 2008, but has been on a downward trajectory since 1986. As of 2025, it ranks 8,860th, making it an uncommon choice: only about 1 in 146,115 newborn girls receives the name. The spelling likely arose from phonetic simplification and the trend for unique spellings of traditional names.
Kady is a modern variant of Katie or Cady, which are pet forms of Katherine. Katherine derives from the Greek name Aikaterine, whose meaning is debated but commonly associated with the Greek word katharos, meaning 'pure'. The spelling Kady emerged in the late 20th century as a phonetic alternative.
“Kady” around the world
Where Kady lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
20
babies in 2024
Ireland
3
babies in 2025
Sources: INSEE (France) · CSO Ireland (Ireland).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Kate, Katie, Kadybug
Sibling names for Kady
Names that share Kady's style, for a brother or sister.
