Madai is of Hebrew origin, derived from the word 'maday', which means 'from Madain Saleh'. This ancient city in present-day Saudi Arabia was once an important trading hub for frankincense and myrrh. The name Madai is often associated with the sons of Jacob in the Old Testament, who were the founders of the tribe of Media.
The name Madai experienced a steady increase in popularity from the late 1970s until around 2002, with a peak of 26 births in both 2002 and 2003. After that period, the number of annual births fluctuated but remained relatively high compared to the earlier decades. However, since around 2015, there has been a significant decline in the number of annual births named Madai, with fewer than 10 births recorded each year from 2015 onwards.