Fun Facts About the Name Hilda
- A favorite of earlier generations: Hilda appeared in the U.S. top 100 in 4 separate runs, totaling 10 years. Its last run lasted 1 consecutive years, from 1909 through 1909.
- More than 81 thousand babies named Hilda: U.S. records list 81,198 babies given the name Hilda from 1880 through 2025. Even 178 boys received the name Hilda - about 1 boy for every 455 girls.
What Does the Name Hilda Mean?
Hilda is a feminine name of Germanic origin. It comes from the element hild - Old Norse hildr, Old English hild, Old High German hilt - which means "battle." The Latinized spelling Hilda is essentially that element used on its own as a woman's name, and its customary sense is "battle woman" or "woman of battle," not a literal fight.
In Norse tradition Hildr is the name of a valkyrie, one of the figures who chose which warriors would fall in battle, which is where the name's warlike associations come from. Hilda also stands apart from the longer two-part Germanic names that use the same element as a second component, such as Hildegard, Brunhild, Mathilde, and Clotilde; each of those has its own separate etymology and meaning.
Hilda Name History & Origins
The name was used across the medieval Germanic world and among the Anglo-Saxons, where it appears as Hild. Its best-known early bearer is Saint Hilda (c. 614 - 680), the Anglo-Saxon abbess who founded the monastery at Whitby and hosted the Synod of Whitby in 664; the Venerable Bede records her in his Ecclesiastical History. Her reputation kept the name in Christian use in England.
In Scandinavia the related Old Norse form Hildr is attested as a valkyrie name in the Eddas, and the -hild element was common in Norse women's names. On the continent the name continued as Hilde and Hilda, especially in German- and Scandinavian-speaking regions; the Icelandic form Hildur is another variant.
After the Norman Conquest, Anglo-Saxon names largely fell out of fashion in England, and Hilda survived mainly on the continent. It was taken up again in the English-speaking world in the 19th century, when many older Germanic and Anglo-Saxon names were revived.
Later literary uses include Hilda, a central character in Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel The Marble Faun (1860), the character Hilde Wangel in Henrik Ibsen's play The Master Builder (1892), and Hilda Lessways in Arnold Bennett's Clayhanger novels. These are uses of a name that was already long established, not its origin.
How Popular is the Name Hilda?
Hilda recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1921. The name enjoyed early prominence in the late 19th century before its sustained modern rise.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #3,007 | 55 | 0.0034% |
| 2024 | #3,053 | 53 | 0.0033% |
| 2023 | #2,989 | 56 | 0.0035% |
| 2022 | #2,839 | 60 | 0.0037% |
| 2021 | #3,411 | 46 | 0.0028% |
| 2020 | #3,420 | 45 | 0.0028% |
| 2019 | #3,297 | 48 | 0.0029% |
| 2018 | #3,455 | 45 | 0.0026% |
| 2017 | #4,097 | 36 | 0.0021% |
| 2016 | #3,808 | 40 | 0.0023% |
| 2015 | #3,316 | 49 | 0.0027% |
| 2014 | #3,559 | 44 | 0.0025% |
| 2013 | #4,364 | 33 | 0.0019% |
| 2012 | #2,718 | 65 | 0.0037% |
| 2011 | #3,747 | 41 | 0.0023% |
| 2010 | #3,431 | 47 | 0.0026% |
| 2009 | #2,517 | 75 | 0.0041% |
| 2008 | #2,867 | 62 | 0.0033% |
| 2007 | #2,943 | 61 | 0.0032% |
| 2006 | #2,154 | 90 | 0.0047% |
| 2005 | #2,367 | 75 | 0.0041% |
| 2004 | #2,075 | 88 | 0.0048% |
| 2003 | #2,072 | 86 | 0.0047% |
| 2002 | #1,560 | 120 | 0.0067% |
| 2001 | #1,960 | 88 | 0.0049% |
| 2000 | #2,024 | 82 | 0.0045% |
| 1999 | #1,584 | 106 | 0.0060% |
| 1998 | #1,590 | 103 | 0.0058% |
| 1997 | #1,470 | 112 | 0.0064% |
| 1996 | #1,361 | 124 | 0.0071% |
| 1995 | #1,238 | 138 | 0.0078% |
| 1994 | #1,194 | 148 | 0.0083% |
| 1993 | #1,163 | 152 | 0.0084% |
| 1992 | #1,124 | 158 | 0.0086% |
| 1991 | #1,103 | 163 | 0.0087% |
| 1990 | #1,106 | 158 | 0.0083% |
| 1989 | #1,005 | 172 | 0.0093% |
| 1988 | #1,114 | 139 | 0.0078% |
| 1987 | #1,055 | 146 | 0.0084% |
| 1986 | #934 | 170 | 0.0099% |
| 1985 | #874 | 183 | 0.0106% |
| 1984 | #832 | 188 | 0.0112% |
| 1983 | #797 | 195 | 0.0117% |
| 1982 | #757 | 219 | 0.0129% |
| 1981 | #697 | 242 | 0.0145% |
| 1980 | #685 | 253 | 0.0152% |
| 1979 | #739 | 221 | 0.0138% |
| 1978 | #671 | 237 | 0.0155% |
| 1977 | #765 | 197 | 0.0128% |
| 1976 | #585 | 279 | 0.0190% |
| 1975 | #631 | 249 | 0.0171% |
| 1974 | #552 | 304 | 0.0207% |
| 1973 | #640 | 236 | 0.0162% |
| 1972 | #578 | 284 | 0.0187% |
| 1971 | #614 | 277 | 0.0166% |
| 1970 | #589 | 298 | 0.0170% |
| 1969 | #586 | 285 | 0.0169% |
| 1968 | #609 | 250 | 0.0152% |
| 1967 | #552 | 292 | 0.0177% |
| 1966 | #555 | 291 | 0.0172% |
| 1965 | #488 | 377 | 0.0214% |
| 1964 | #476 | 411 | 0.0217% |
| 1963 | #498 | 380 | 0.0197% |
| 1962 | #465 | 428 | 0.0218% |
| 1961 | #474 | 424 | 0.0210% |
| 1960 | #456 | 458 | 0.0227% |
| 1959 | #444 | 466 | 0.0230% |
| 1958 | #406 | 523 | 0.0260% |
| 1957 | #373 | 587 | 0.0287% |
| 1956 | #348 | 626 | 0.0312% |
| 1955 | #331 | 660 | 0.0338% |
| 1954 | #330 | 658 | 0.0339% |
| 1953 | #305 | 727 | 0.0386% |
| 1952 | #313 | 665 | 0.0359% |
| 1951 | #296 | 708 | 0.0393% |
| 1950 | #296 | 682 | 0.0398% |
| 1949 | #292 | 704 | 0.0411% |
| 1948 | #273 | 798 | 0.0470% |
| 1947 | #262 | 843 | 0.0476% |
| 1946 | #270 | 718 | 0.0457% |
| 1945 | #259 | 680 | 0.0520% |
| 1944 | #241 | 745 | 0.0561% |
| 1943 | #263 | 703 | 0.0504% |
| 1942 | #244 | 784 | 0.0580% |
| 1941 | #218 | 795 | 0.0658% |
| 1940 | #215 | 797 | 0.0697% |
| 1939 | #221 | 762 | 0.0695% |
| 1938 | #205 | 850 | 0.0770% |
| 1937 | #219 | 761 | 0.0715% |
| 1936 | #204 | 822 | 0.0790% |
| 1935 | #199 | 867 | 0.0827% |
| 1934 | #192 | 929 | 0.0890% |
| 1933 | #179 | 957 | 0.0949% |
| 1932 | #172 | 1,105 | 0.1035% |
| 1931 | #167 | 1,098 | 0.1031% |
| 1930 | #158 | 1,303 | 0.1157% |
| 1929 | #157 | 1,334 | 0.1195% |
| 1928 | #148 | 1,574 | 0.1365% |
| 1927 | #144 | 1,669 | 0.1400% |
| 1926 | #139 | 1,847 | 0.1558% |
| 1925 | #142 | 1,824 | 0.1498% |
| 1924 | #141 | 1,941 | 0.1554% |
| 1923 | #140 | 1,862 | 0.1543% |
| 1922 | #131 | 1,962 | 0.1634% |
| 1921 | #123 | 2,128 | 0.1726% |
| 1920 | #125 | 2,050 | 0.1711% |
| 1919 | #123 | 1,917 | 0.1696% |
| 1918 | #114 | 2,118 | 0.1830% |
| 1917 | #112 | 2,006 | 0.1855% |
| 1916 | #105 | 2,075 | 0.1987% |
| 1915 | #107 | 1,891 | 0.1922% |
| 1914 | #103 | 1,525 | 0.2002% |
| 1913 | #105 | 1,275 | 0.2041% |
| 1912 | #104 | 1,158 | 0.2075% |
| 1911 | #101 | 916 | 0.2190% |
| 1910 | #109 | 793 | 0.2000% |
| 1909 | #100 | 773 | 0.2226% |
| 1908 | #102 | 735 | 0.2199% |
| 1907 | #101 | 702 | 0.2204% |
| 1906 | #97 | 705 | 0.2387% |
| 1905 | #101 | 655 | 0.2246% |
| 1904 | #98 | 629 | 0.2284% |
| 1903 | #88 | 698 | 0.2664% |
| 1902 | #94 | 649 | 0.2458% |
| 1901 | #92 | 574 | 0.2398% |
| 1900 | #101 | 663 | 0.2212% |
| 1899 | #87 | 621 | 0.2665% |
| 1898 | #97 | 610 | 0.2357% |
| 1897 | #94 | 561 | 0.2395% |
| 1896 | #95 | 549 | 0.2308% |
| 1895 | #104 | 513 | 0.2196% |
| 1894 | #106 | 470 | 0.2108% |
| 1893 | #107 | 410 | 0.1926% |
| 1892 | #121 | 370 | 0.1742% |
| 1891 | #122 | 324 | 0.1747% |
| 1890 | #128 | 304 | 0.1597% |
| 1889 | #138 | 251 | 0.1407% |
| 1888 | #146 | 219 | 0.1226% |
| 1887 | #156 | 156 | 0.1069% |
| 1886 | #161 | 143 | 0.0989% |
| 1885 | #168 | 121 | 0.0909% |
| 1884 | #157 | 125 | 0.0969% |
| 1883 | #169 | 99 | 0.0881% |
| 1882 | #226 | 58 | 0.0538% |
| 1881 | #223 | 48 | 0.0522% |
| 1880 | #199 | 60 | 0.0659% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | #5,753 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1982 | #5,931 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1980 | #4,672 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1978 | #6,174 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1957 | #4,230 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1952 | #3,968 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1948 | #3,899 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1938 | #3,001 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1936 | #3,326 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1934 | #3,913 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1933 | #2,628 | 9 | 0.0009% |
| 1932 | #4,005 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1930 | #3,777 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1929 | #2,674 | 10 | 0.0009% |
| 1927 | #3,280 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1926 | #2,641 | 11 | 0.0010% |
| 1924 | #3,125 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1922 | #4,601 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1921 | #3,090 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1920 | #3,338 | 8 | 0.0008% |
| 1918 | #3,511 | 7 | 0.0007% |
| 1917 | #4,241 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1916 | #3,038 | 8 | 0.0009% |
| 1914 | #2,531 | 8 | 0.0012% |
| 1913 | #3,020 | 5 | 0.0010% |
| 1909 | #1,210 | 7 | 0.0043% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Explore Name Lists Featuring Hilda
Carl appears in several baby name collections based on U.S. popularity records, naming trends, and name characteristics. Explore these lists to discover other names with similar histories, styles, or features.
Past Favorite Girl Names
Explore More Lists with Name Hilda
Most Popular Girl Names That Start with H
Short Girl Names That Start with H
How the Name Hilda Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You attract success and money. You are a lover of nature and do not need others for your happiness. You are self sufficient. You strive for material success and power and have business sense. You possess strong organizational abilities, can be a good manager, and executive by nature. You are capable of great achievement in business and finance. You are intuitive and might be interested in the arts, drama or science.
You are very intuitive. You have a reservoir of inspired wisdom combined with inherited analytical ability, which could reward you through expressions of spiritual leadership, business analysis, marketing, artistic visions, and scientific research. Operating on spiritual side of your individuality can bring you to the great heights, and drop you off if you neglect your spiritual identity. You are always looking for an opportunity to investigate the unknown, to use and show your mental abilities, to find the purpose and meaning of life. You want to grow wise and to understand people and things. You need privacy to replenish your energy. You have a unique way of thinking, intuitive, reflective, absorbing.
✦ Hilda's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Hilda's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.