Hadassah is a unique and captivating female given name of Hebrew origin. It is derived from the Hebrew word "hadassah," which means "myrtle." The myrtle tree is a plant that holds significant symbolic meaning in Jewish culture, representing beauty, purity, and strength.
The name Hadassah has a rich historical background. In the biblical Book of Esther, there is a character named Hadassah who later becomes known as Queen Esther. She was an orphaned Jewish woman who rose to become the second wife of King Ahasuerus (Xerxes I) of Persia and eventually saved her people from extermination by her courageous actions.
The name Hadassah also has connections to modern history. In 1902, a German-Jewish nurse named Henrietta Szold founded an organization called "Young Judea" in the United States to encourage young Jews to immigrate to Palestine and help establish Jewish settlements there. She chose the name Hadassah for this organization because it reflected her vision of creating beautiful, pure, and strong communities in the Holy Land.
Today, the name Hadassah is still predominantly used within Jewish communities but has also gained popularity among other cultures who appreciate its unique sound and meaning. It remains a name that carries a powerful sense of history, strength, and beauty.
The name Hadassah has seen a significant increase in popularity over the past century in the United States. According to the statistics provided, there were only 5 births recorded with the name Hadassah in 1910 and again in 1916. However, between 1917 and 2023, there has been a steady rise in the number of babies named Hadassah.
The first notable increase occurred in the 1970s, with 11 births recorded in 1970, followed by 14 births in 1972. This trend continued into the 1980s, with a peak of 44 births in 1985. However, it was not until the late 1990s and early 2000s that Hadassah started to gain significant traction as a popular name.
In 2000, there were 81 births recorded with the name Hadassah, and this number continued to rise throughout the decade. By 2005, there were 142 births, and by 2010, there were 324 births. This upward trend has persisted into the 2020s, with 486 births recorded in 2022 and 480 births recorded in 2023.
Overall, since 1910, a total of 8187 babies have been named Hadassah in the United States. This represents a remarkable increase in popularity for this name over the past century, with the highest number of births occurring in recent years.