Rada

♀ Girl

Pronounced RAH-dah /ˈrɑː.dɑː/Medium

Meaning: From the Slavic root rad, 'glad; joyful' — the same element behind Radmila and Radoslav. Rada is used as a full name in Bulgaria, Serbia and Croatia, and appears as a short form of longer Rad- names. It is separately a Romani name.Medium

In 30 seconds: Rada is a Slavic name from the root meaning 'glad; joyful' — short, warm and bright (said 'RAH-dah').

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Origin MediumBulgarian, Serbian, Croatian

MeaningFrom the Slavic root rad, 'glad; joyful' — the same element behind Radmila and Radoslav. Rada is used as a full name in Bulgaria, Serbia and Croatia, and appears as a short form of longer Rad- names. It is separately a Romani name.

U.S. rank (2024)#14824 ↘ Falling

2024 U.S. births6 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1921

Total births (all-time)≈ 464

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

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

Rada comes from the Slavic root rad, 'glad; joyful' — the same element that opens Radmila, Radoslava and Radoslav. It is used as a full given name in Bulgaria, Serbia and Croatia, and also serves as a short form of those longer names. Rada is separately a traditional Romani name. Two clean beats, and a meaning that could hardly be sunnier (said 'RAH-dah').

In the U.S. it appears only rarely. Rare here, familiar across the Balkans.

Did you know? The Slavic element rad means 'glad' — it opens Radmila, Radoslav and a whole family of joyful names, and stands alone as Rada.

Overall data confidence 55%

References — Rada — Slavic rad 'glad; joyful'; South Slavic and Romani use

Variations

RadkaRadmilaRado

Nicknames

RadRadka

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Rada…

Vesna— a like South Slavic pick

Mila— a like short Slavic name

Dara— a like two-beat Balkan choice

Dessi— shares Rada's Bulgarian roots

Varna— another Bulgarian name

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By themeheritage short slavic joy

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Rada mean?

Rada comes from the Slavic root rad, meaning 'glad; joyful'.

How do you pronounce Rada?

It's said RAH-dah /ˈrɑː.dɑː/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Rada a boy or girl name?

Rada is used as a girl's name; the masculine forms are Rado and Radoslav.

How popular is Rada?

Rada is rare in the U.S. but used in Bulgaria, Serbia and Croatia.