boy's name
Mehdi
MEH-dee
- Origin Persian
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 49,461
France
#297
2025 births
Mehdi means the rightly guided one, and it is a title before it is a name — the Mahdi is the figure Islamic tradition expects at the end of time, so the word carries an eschatological weight few names do.
- Mehdi is a name of Persian origin.
- Peaked in France in 1991, when 1,545 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade in France.
- Today about 1 in 3,275 babies in France is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1955.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Mehdi over time
Births per decade in France, 1950s to 2020s. 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 | 15 |
| 1960s | 320 |
| 1970s | 3,870 |
| 1980s | 11,195 |
| 1990s | 13,090 |
| 2000s | 10,350 |
| 2010s | 6,440 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 1,545 |
What Mehdi means
Mehdi means guided, or rightly guided. The Arabic is a passive participle, so it describes someone who has been guided rather than someone who guides.
Where Mehdi comes from
Mehdi is the Persian form of the Arabic Mahdi, the guided one — a passive participle of hada, to guide. As a title it names the figure expected to appear before the end of time and restore justice, central to Shia belief and present in Sunni tradition too. Several historical figures claimed it, most famously the Sudanese leader who took Khartoum in 1885. The name is used across the Muslim world and, in our data, most heavily in France.
Mehdi in use
Mehdi peaked in France in 1991, when 1,545 babies were registered, and is falling in our data. It now ranks 297th in France on 180 births, 2559th in England and Wales on 9 and 4001st in the United States on 27, across 49,461 lifetime births in four of the seven markets we track. Our records carry it from 1955, so its whole recorded history is postwar.
How popular is Mehdi?
In 2025, Mehdi was given to 180 babies in France, ranking #297 that year. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Mehdi 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 Mehdi is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Méhdi | Méhdi is a rare spelling of Mehdi, written with an acute accent and recorded about 30 times, mostly in France. | 30 |
Names that peaked alongside Mehdi
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Mehdi also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Mehdi over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Mehdi 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 Mehdi
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Mehdi — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Mehdi
What does the name Mehdi mean?
The rightly guided one — a passive participle of the Arabic hada, to guide.
Who is the Mahdi?
The figure Islamic tradition expects before the end of time to restore justice.
Have people claimed the title?
Several, most famously the Sudanese leader who took Khartoum in 1885.
Where is Mehdi most used?
France at 297th, well ahead of every other market we track.
How popular is the name Mehdi?
In 2025, Mehdi was given to 180 babies in France, ranking #297 that year. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Is Mehdi a girl's or a boy's name?
Mehdi is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Mehdi?
Mehdi has 2 syllables.
When was Mehdi most popular?
Mehdi peaked in 1991, when 1,545 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
Is Mehdi a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Mehdi currently ranks #297 in France. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.