The first name Rada
A girl’s name meaning “glad”, “thankful”.
2 syllables Female Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Rada means “glad”, “thankful”.
Feminine form of dialectal Bulgarian and Ukrainian рад (rad, “glad, thankful”), from Proto-Slavic *radъ.
More names that mean joy.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
Rada last appeared in the official list in 2023, given to 3 girls. It peaked in 2011, with 4 births (#4,764).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Rada with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Rada at birth, 1880–2025
In 2024, 6 girls born in the United States were named Rada, the 14,878th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1921, when 15 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Famous people named Rada
4 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Rada AkbarAfghan visual artist, born 1988
- Rada LaykovaBulgarian politician (born 1990)
- Rada IvekovićCroatian philosopher and writer (born 1945)
- Rada BorićCroatian feminist, born 1951
Questions
- What does the name Rada mean?
- Rada means “glad”, “thankful”.
- How popular is the name Rada?
- In 2023, 3 girls born in England and Wales were named Rada, ranking 5,687th. Its peak was 2011, with 4 births.
- Is Rada a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 464 US babies named Rada since 1880 were girls.
- When was Rada most popular?
- 1921 in the United States, when 15 babies were named Rada, its highest rank at 2,481st.
- Is Rada also a surname?
- Yes. Rada is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.