Heidi
Heidi is a Germanic feminine given name. It became an internationally popular first name as a direct result of the Swiss children's book, Heidi. It can sometimes be an affectionate diminutive of the name Adelheid, which means "nobility" or, more loosely, "of noble birth". The name began to be used in the English-speaking world shortly after the 1937 Shirley Temple movie adaptation of the novel.
Meaning & Origin of Heidi
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Heidi is a Germanic feminine given name. It became an internationally popular first name as a direct result of the Swiss children's book, Heidi. It can sometimes be an affectionate diminutive of the name Adelheid, which means "nobility" or, more loosely, "of noble birth". The name began to be used in the English-speaking world shortly after the 1937 Shirley Temple movie adaptation of the novel.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Heidi
Heidi first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1929, with 8 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1972, when 4,723 Heidis were born — ranking #64 that year. As of 2026, Heidi ranks #337 for baby girls with 919 births, gradually rising (+6%). In total, more than 150K Heidis have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1920s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Heidi
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Heidi Abel (1929–1986), Swiss television personality
- Heidi Alexander (born 1975), British politician
- Heidi Allen (born 1975), British politician
- Heidi Andersson (born 1981), Swedish armwrestler
- Heidi Andreasen (born 1985), Faroese swimmer
- Heidi Androl (born 1980), candidate for The Apprentice:Los Angeles (US Season 6, 2005)
- Heidi Astrup (born 1972), Danish handball player
- Heidi Baker (born 1959), American missionary in Africa
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Heidi
Phonetically similar names — useful when Heidi is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Heidi
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About the name Heidi
Heidi is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1929 and has accumulated 150K births in the dataset. Heidi's peak popularity came in 1972 when it ranked #60. Use the chart and map above to compare Heidi's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1972 →
- Names of the 1970s →
- Names starting with "H" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.