NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Vada

A feminine name of Indian origin meaning "a lentil or small bean".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Vada is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Vada popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3695, with 6 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2020, with 14 births.

This profile covers 91 England and Wales registrations across 15 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 43% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 91 living people in the UK are called Vada. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Vada ranked #3695 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 6 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2020, when 14 girls were registered as Vada.
  • About 91 living people in the UK are estimated to have Vada as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#3695

2024

Births in 2024

6

Latest year

Peak year

2020

14 births

Estimated living

91

2026

Meaning

What does Vada mean?

The name Vada is believed to have originated from the Sanskrit language, which is one of the oldest languages in the world, dating back to the second millennium BCE. It is thought to be derived from the Sanskrit word "vadah," which means "to speak" or "to argue." This suggests that the name may have been originally given to individuals who were skilled orators or had a talent for debate and public speaking.

In ancient Indian texts, such as the Vedas and the Upanishads, there are references to individuals with the name Vada or variations of it. For example, the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad mentions a sage named Vadava, who was a student of the renowned teacher Yajnavalkya. This suggests that the name has been in use for thousands of years in the Indian subcontinent.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Vada can be found in the Mahabharata, the great Sanskrit epic of ancient India. In this epic, there is a character named Vadavagni, who was a powerful warrior and the son of the sage Richika. This indicates that the name was not only used for scholars and philosophers but also for warriors and nobility.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Vada. One of the most famous was Vadavatara, a 7th-century Indian philosopher and logician who made significant contributions to the field of Indian logic and epistemology. Another notable figure was Vada Srinivasa Sastri, a 19th-century Indian scholar and poet who was renowned for his works in Telugu literature.

In more recent times, the name Vada has been associated with several influential individuals. Vada Pinson, an American baseball player who played for the Cincinnati Reds and the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1950s and 1960s, was a four-time All-Star and won a World Series championship with the Reds in 1961. Vada Nobles, an American actress and singer, had a successful career in television and film during the 1940s and 1950s, appearing in various musicals and comedies.

While the name Vada may not be as common in modern times, its rich history and cultural significance in the Indian subcontinent have endured for centuries. From ancient sages and philosophers to modern-day athletes and artists, the name Vada has been borne by individuals who have made significant contributions to various fields throughout history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Vada over time

The chart below shows babies named Vada registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Vada, the clearest high point is 2020. The latest England and Wales figure is 6 births in 2024, compared with 14 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Vada
0471114199620102024

Decades

Vada by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Vada was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #3019 42 5
2010s #4288 43 8
1990s #3848 6 2

Related

Names similar to Vada

FAQ

Vada: questions and answers

How popular is the name Vada in the UK right now?

In 2024, Vada was ranked #3695 for girls in England and Wales, with 6 births registered.

When was Vada most popular?

The peak year on record was 2020, with 14 babies registered as Vada in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Vada?

A feminine name of Indian origin meaning "a lentil or small bean".

How many people are called Vada in the UK?

A total of 91 babies have been registered as Vada across the 15 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.