Cassady is a unique and distinctive given name of American origin. It is derived from the surname Cassidy, which has Irish roots and means "clever" or "curly-headed." The use of Cassady as a given name gained popularity in the United States during the mid-20th century.
The name Cassady is thought to have been popularized by writer Jack Kerouac, who used it for one of the characters in his novel "On the Road," published in 1957. The character Sal Paradise's friend Dean Moriarty was modeled after Neal Cassady, a real-life friend and fellow Beat Generation figure. Since then, the name has been associated with this counterculture movement and has gained further popularity as a given name.
Cassady is typically used as a boys' name but can also be given to girls. It has a modern and independent sound that appeals to many parents looking for unique names for their children. In recent years, Cassady has appeared more frequently in the Social Security Administration's list of popular baby names in the United States.
Overall, Cassady is an interesting and distinctive given name with Irish origins and American popularity. Its meaning, "clever" or "curly-headed," along with its association with the Beat Generation, adds to its unique appeal for parents looking for a memorable name for their child.
The name Cassady has seen a varied trend in popularity over the years in the United States, with fluctuations in the number of births each year.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the name Cassady was given to an average of around 7-8 babies per year. However, this figure began to rise significantly from 1983 onwards, reaching a peak of 67 births in both 1999 and 2000.
The late 1990s and early 2000s saw a high level of popularity for the name Cassady, with over 50 births per year consistently from 1993 to 2002. The highest recorded figure during this period was 67 births in both 1999 and 2000.
However, after 2002, the popularity of the name Cassady began to decline once again. Between 2005 and 2017, there were an average of around 18-24 births per year, with a low of just 9 births in 2019.
Overall, since 1977, there have been a total of 1074 babies named Cassady born in the United States. This figure represents both the enduring popularity and the fluctuations in trend that the name has experienced over the years.