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Home › Baby Names Directory › Rad

Rad

♂ Boy

How to Pronounce Rad

Pronounced RAHD /ˈrɑd/Medium

Meaning: Variously from Persian/Kurdish rad, 'generous; quick; a hero', and a Slavic short form of names like Radomir ('happy/glad + peace'); routes layeredLow

In 30 seconds: Generous; a hero; glad: Rad is Persian/Slavic. Crisp, strong, and warm (said 'RAHD').
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Origin LowPersian, Slavic
MeaningVariously from Persian/Kurdish rad, 'generous; quick; a hero', and a Slavic short form of names like Radomir ('happy/glad + peace'); routes layered
U.S. rank (2025)#8758 ↘ Falling
2025 U.S. births9 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year2023
Total births (all-time)≈ 205
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Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 202319482025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Rad comes variously from Persian/Kurdish rad, 'generous; quick; a hero', and from a Slavic short form of names like Radomir ('happy/glad + peace'; routes layered, which we note). A crisp, strong name (said 'RAHD').

In the U.S. it appears in Persian and Slavic families. Rare, generous-and-a-hero at the root, and strong.

Did you know? Rad means 'generous; quick; a hero' in Persian/Kurdish and is a Slavic short form of names like Radomir ('glad + peace') — a crisp, strong name (the routes are layered, which we note; said 'RAHD').
Overall data confidence 40%
References — Rad — routes layered

Variations

RaadRadekRadomir

Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

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If you like Rad…

Arman— a sound-neighbor Persian boys' name
Raad— a fellow R- name (Arabic 'thunder')
Shayan— a similarly popular pick
Cy— a similarly popular pick
Bane— a similarly popular pick

Explore names like Rad

By themeuncertainpersianslavicpeace
By meaningPeaceJoy

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Rad mean?

Rad is variously Persian 'generous; a hero' and a Slavic short form of Radomir ('glad + peace'); the routes are layered.

How do you pronounce Rad?

It's said RAHD /ˈrɑd/ — one syllable.

Is Rad a boy or girl name?

Rad is a boy's name.

How popular is Rad?

Rad is a rare name in the U.S.

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