Girl · #6,246 in 2026

Hedwig

Name: Popularity of the name Hedwig in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Hedwig, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Hedwig is a German feminine given name, from Old High German Hadwig, Hadewig, Haduwig. It is a Germanic name consisting of the two elements hadu "battle, combat" and wig "fight, duel". The name is on record since the 9th century, with Haduwig, a daughter of Louis the German.

Current Rank

#6,246

Peak Rank

#563 (1918)

Total Babies

5-Yr Trend

Stable

1880

First Year

1968

Last Year

1918

Peak Year

#563

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Hedwig

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Hedwig

Hedwig first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1918, when 159 Hedwigs were born — ranking #563 that year. As of 2026, Hedwig ranks #6,246 for baby girls with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 3K Hedwigs have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Hedwig

Phonetically similar names — useful when Hedwig is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Hedvig
Headway
Ludwig
Hedrick
Headrick
Headwear
Hydrick
Headache
Headlock
Whig
Hoodwink
Headach

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Hedwig

What does the name Hedwig mean?

How popular is Hedwig in 2026?

In 2026, Hedwig ranks #6,246 among girls' names in the U.S., with 6 babies given the name that year.

When was Hedwig most popular?

Hedwig reached its peak popularity in 1918, ranking #563 that year with 159 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Hedwig most popular?

Hedwig has historically been most popular in Delaware, Connecticut, New Jersey. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Hedwig.

Is Hedwig a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Hedwig is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.

What names go well with Hedwig?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Hedwig include Jolie, Mechelle, Azariah. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Hedwig

Hedwig is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 3K births in the dataset. Hedwig's peak popularity came in 1918 when it ranked #563. Use the chart and map above to compare Hedwig's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.