girl's name
Khadija
ka-DEE-ja
- Origin Arabic
- Gender Girl
- Letters 7
- Popularity Top 1000 (E&W)
- Births on record 24,062
the United States
#981
2025 births
Khadija is a girl's name of Arabic origin. It was the name of the Prophet Muhammad's first wife, a successful merchant who employed him before proposing marriage — and by Islamic tradition the first person to accept Islam.
- Khadija is a name of Arabic origin.
- Peaked in France in 2024, when 415 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade in France.
- Today about 1 in 1,550 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1950.
Khadija over time
Births per decade in France, 1950s to 2020s. Khadija is more popular in England and Wales — see the country table below. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1950s | 30 |
| 1960s | 155 |
| 1970s | 735 |
| 1980s | 1,785 |
| 1990s | 1,100 |
| 2000s | 1,370 |
| 2010s | 3,320 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 2,235 |
What Khadija means
Khadija's meaning is not settled. It is traditionally connected to a root concerning early birth or prematurity, and separately read as trustworthy — neither reading is secure, and the name's significance rests on its bearer rather than its etymology.
Where Khadija comes from
Khadija bint Khuwaylid was a wealthy Meccan merchant who hired Muhammad to lead a trading caravan, was impressed by his conduct, and proposed marriage — she was his employer before she was his wife, and he took no other wife during her lifetime. Islamic tradition holds her to be the first person to accept his prophethood. The name's linguistic origin is genuinely obscure: the connection to a root meaning premature is the traditional Arabic explanation, but it is disputed, and the name is likely pre-Islamic with a lost derivation.
Khadija in use
Our data shows Khadija peaking in 2024 and still rising, at 146 in England and Wales. It first appears in our records in 1950. It is one of a group of names on this site — with Maryam, Fatima and Aisha — whose standing rests entirely on a historical woman rather than on what the word means.
How popular is Khadija?
In 2025, Khadija was given to 340 babies in England and Wales, ranking #146 that year. It is well established in England and Wales.
Where Khadija is used
French counts are rounded to the nearest five and nothing below five is published, so these figures show the shape of the name's use rather than an exact tally. Data & sources.
How Khadija is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Khadîja | Khadîja is a rare spelling of Khadija, written with a circumflex and recorded about 10 times, mostly in France. | 10 |
Names that peaked alongside Khadija
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Khadija also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Khadija over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
2 nicknames for Khadija
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Khadija in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Khadija
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Khadija — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Khadija
What does the name Khadija mean?
The meaning is not settled. It is traditionally linked to a root concerning early birth, and separately read as trustworthy.
Who was Khadija?
The Prophet Muhammad's first wife, a wealthy Meccan merchant who employed him and then proposed marriage. Islamic tradition holds her to be the first person to accept Islam.
Is Hatice the same name?
Yes — Hatice is the Turkish form of Khadija.
How popular is the name Khadija?
In 2025, Khadija was given to 340 babies in England and Wales, ranking #146 that year. It is well established in England and Wales.
Is Khadija a girl's or a boy's name?
Khadija is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
When was Khadija most popular?
Khadija peaked in 2024, when 415 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Khadija?
Khadija is usually shortened to Khadi and Dija.
Is Khadija a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Khadija currently ranks #139 in France. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.