Hilda
Hilda was the 3007th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 55 babies. Its best year was 1899, when it ranked 87th; the most babies were born in 1921 (2,128). Over the last ten years it has moved up 309 places. More babies were named Hilda in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning "battle" · Germanic, Old English
Say it HIL-duh /ˈhɪldə/
- Rank in 2025
- #3,007 girls, up 413 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 55girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19212,128 babies
- Total since 1880
- 81,200babies recorded
What does the name Hilda mean?
Hilda is a short form of Germanic women's names that begin or end with hild, "battle", such as Hildegard and Brunhild, and has been used on its own since the early Middle Ages. Saint Hilda (Old English Hild) of Whitby was a 7th-century English abbess, which kept the name alive in England. Wikipedia also notes Hild, a Valkyrie in Norse legend. The name was revived in the 19th century in Britain and the US.
hild (Germanic (Old English, Old High German), “battle”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Hilde, Hildegard, Hildy, Hild.
See also: Germanic names, names that mean warrior.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Hilda', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wikipedia, 'Hilda', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Mathilda', DMNES (Durham University)
Hilda popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 178 since 1909.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #3,007 | 55 |
| 2020 | #3,420 | 45 |
| 2010 | #3,431 | 47 |
| 2000 | #2,024 | 82 |
| 1990 | #1,106 | 158 |
| 1980 | #684 | 253 |
| 1970 | #589 | 298 |
| 1960 | #456 | 458 |
| 1950 | #296 | 682 |
| 1940 | #215 | 797 |
| 1930 | #158 | 1,303 |
| 1920 | #125 | 2,050 |
| 1910 | #109 | 793 |
| 1900 | #101 | 663 |
| 1890 | #128 | 304 |
| 1880 | #199 | 60 |
How popular is Hilda, counting every spelling?
Hilda has no other common spelling that sounds the same.
How many kids will share the name Hilda?
55 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Hilda (0.02 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Hilda born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 152 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Hilda.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Hilda?
About 21,600 people born in the US named Hilda are alive today, with a median age of 68; half are between 50 and 78. That makes Hilda a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Hilda by state
How common Hilda was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in California (1.5×), Texas (1.5×). In 46 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Hilda: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Hilda, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Hilda · Sibling names for Hilda
Questions about the name Hilda
What does Hilda mean?
Hilda means “"battle"” (Germanic, Old English origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Hilda?
Hilda was the 3007th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 55 babies. Its best year was 1899, when it ranked 87th; the most babies were born in 1921 (2,128). Over the last ten years it has moved up 309 places. More babies were named Hilda in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Hilda a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Hilda in the US.
Where is Hilda most popular?
In 2021–2025, Hilda was most common in California (0.05 per 1,000 girls), followed by Texas and Virginia.