Boy · #1,562 in 2026

Mahdi

Name: Popularity of the name Mahdi in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Mahdi, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

The Mahdi is a messianic figure in Islamic belief. He is comparable to the Christian concept of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, the Jewish concept of Mashiach ben David and the Zoroastrian concept of the Saoshyant. The Mahdi is said to be a descendant of Muhammad and is believed to appear at the End of Times, shortly before Jesus returns, to rid the world of evil and injustice.

Arabic
Persian

Current Rank

#1,562

Peak Rank

#1,562 (2026)

Total Babies

5-Yr Trend

+31%

1959

First Year

2026

Last Year

2026

Peak Year

#1562

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Mahdi

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

Arabic
Persian

Etymology

The term Mahdi is derived from the Arabic root h-d-y ( ه-د-ي ), commonly used to mean "divine guidance". Although the root appears in the Qur'an at multiple places and in various contexts, the word Mahdi never occurs in the book. The associated verb is hada , which means to guide. However, Mahdi can be read in active voice, where it means the one who guides, as well as passive voice, where it means the one who is guided.

Origin & history

The term al-Mahdi was employed from the beginning of Islam, but only as an honorific epithet ("the guide") and without any messianic significance. As an honorific, it was used in some instances to describe Muhammad (by Hassan ibn Thabit ), Abraham , al-Husayn, and various Umayyad caliphs ( هداة مهديون , hudat mahdiyyun ). During the Second Muslim Civil War (680–692), after the death of Mu'awiya I ( reigned</span>"}]]}'>r. 661–680 ), the term acquired a new meaning of a ruler who would restore Islam to its perfect form and restore justice after oppression. Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr , who laid cla

The Story of Mahdi

American parents first put Mahdi on the record books as a baby boy name in 1959, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2026, when 112 Mahdis were born — ranking #1,562 that year. About 33% of every Mahdi on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Mahdi ranks #1,562 for baby boys with 112 births, rising sharply (+31% over the past five years). All told, over 3K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1950s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Variants & Related Forms of Mahdi

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Mahdi. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Mehdi

Names that sound like Mahdi

Phonetically similar names — useful when Mahdi is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Madi
Maadi
Maudie
Moudy
Moody
Muddy
Maddie
Maddy
Medi
Mady
Midi
Madie

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Mahdi

What does the name Mahdi mean?

What is the origin of the name Mahdi?

Mahdi has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: Arabic, Persian.

How popular is Mahdi in 2026?

In 2026, Mahdi ranks #1,562 among boys' names in the U.S., with 112 babies given the name that year.

When was Mahdi most popular?

Mahdi reached its peak popularity in 2026, ranking #1,562 that year with 112 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Mahdi most popular?

Mahdi has historically been most popular in Michigan, Massachusetts, Minnesota. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Mahdi.

Is Mahdi a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Mahdi is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Mahdi?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Mahdi include Adair, Antoni, Toan. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

What are nicknames or variants of Mahdi?

Common variants and related forms of Mahdi include Mehdi. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

About the name Mahdi

Mahdi is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1959 and has accumulated 3K births in the dataset. Mahdi's peak popularity came in 2026 when it ranked #1,562. Use the chart and map above to compare Mahdi's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.