Hadassah is a unique and captivating female given name of Hebrew origin. It is derived from the Hebrew word "hadassah," which means "myrtle." The myrtle tree is a plant that holds significant symbolic meaning in Jewish culture, representing beauty, purity, and strength.
The name Hadassah has a rich historical background. In the biblical Book of Esther, there is a character named Hadassah who later becomes known as Queen Esther. She was an orphaned Jewish woman who rose to become the second wife of King Ahasuerus (Xerxes I) of Persia and eventually saved her people from extermination by her courageous actions.
The name Hadassah also has connections to modern history. In 1902, a German-Jewish nurse named Henrietta Szold founded an organization called "Young Judea" in the United States to encourage young Jews to immigrate to Palestine and help establish Jewish settlements there. She chose the name Hadassah for this organization because it reflected her vision of creating beautiful, pure, and strong communities in the Holy Land.
Today, the name Hadassah is still predominantly used within Jewish communities but has also gained popularity among other cultures who appreciate its unique sound and meaning. It remains a name that carries a powerful sense of history, strength, and beauty.
The name Hadassah experienced a significant rise in popularity over the past century. Initially, it maintained a steady but low occurrence, with fewer than 10 births per year between 1910 and 1976. However, starting from 1978, there was a notable increase, reaching double-digit figures consistently until present day. The highest number of births recorded for the name Hadassah was in 2022, with 486 newborns. Since 2005, the total number of annual births has surpassed 100, indicating its growing popularity. In fact, over the past 17 years (from 2005 to 2022), there have been a total of 8187 births with the name Hadassah.