Ida
Ida was the 1120th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 209 babies. Its best year was 1880, when it ranked 7th; the most babies were born in 1918 (4,450). Over the last ten years it has moved up 299 places. More babies were named Ida in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning work (Germanic, probable) · Germanic
Say it Y-duh /ˈaɪdə/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,120 girls, up 59 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 209girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19184,450 babies
- Total since 1880
- 188,695babies recorded
What does the name Ida mean?
Ida is a short form of medieval Germanic names beginning with id-, used for both sexes in medieval England. DMNES calls the element of uncertain origin but perhaps related to Old Norse ið 'work, occupation', and Wiktionary glosses it 'work'. The name was revived in the 19th century, helped by Tennyson's poem The Princess (1847), whose heroine is Ida, and it was linked by mistake with Mount Ida of Greek myth. Indian Ida (Iḍā, a Vedic goddess) is a separate name.
id- (Old Frankish, “uncertain; perhaps 'work'”)
How sure is this? Probable. DMNES: the element is of uncertain origin.
Other explanations you may read: From Mount Ida (Greek).
Related names: Idella, Idina, Aida.
See also: Germanic names.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Ida', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Ida', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
Ida popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 766 since 1880.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,120 | 209 |
| 2020 | #1,179 | 197 |
| 2010 | #1,931 | 104 |
| 2000 | #1,806 | 96 |
| 1990 | #1,331 | 121 |
| 1980 | #786 | 209 |
| 1970 | #510 | 385 |
| 1960 | #357 | 738 |
| 1950 | #217 | 1,195 |
| 1940 | #144 | 1,688 |
| 1930 | #94 | 2,643 |
| 1920 | #66 | 4,090 |
| 1910 | #47 | 2,107 |
| 1900 | #30 | 2,285 |
| 1890 | #16 | 2,178 |
| 1880 | #7 | 1,472 |
How popular is Ida, counting every spelling?
Ida has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #1,080 for girls in 2025, against #1,120 on the official list.
How many kids will share the name Ida?
209 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Ida (0.06 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Ida 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 40 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Ida.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Ida?
About 34,000 people born in the US named Ida are alive today, with a median age of 71; half are between 55 and 81. That makes Ida 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.
Ida by state
How common Ida was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Minnesota (4.8×), Wisconsin (4.0×), Missouri (2.6×), Indiana (2.0×), Utah (2.0×). In 21 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 Ida: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Ida, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Ida · Sibling names for Ida
Questions about the name Ida
What does Ida mean?
Ida means “work (Germanic, probable)” (Germanic origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Ida?
Ida was the 1120th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 209 babies. Its best year was 1880, when it ranked 7th; the most babies were born in 1918 (4,450). Over the last ten years it has moved up 299 places. More babies were named Ida in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Ida a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Ida in the US.
Where is Ida most popular?
In 2021–2025, Ida was most common in Minnesota (0.64 per 1,000 girls), followed by Wisconsin and Montana.