Hilda
Hilda is one of several feminine given names derived from the name Hild, formed from Old Norse hildr, meaning 'battle'. Hild, a Nordic-German Bellona, was a Valkyrie who conveyed fallen warriors to Valhalla. Warfare was often called Hild's Game. Hilda of Whitby was an early Christian saint.
Meaning & Origin of Hilda
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Hilda is one of several feminine given names derived from the name Hild, formed from Old Norse hildr, meaning 'battle'. Hild, a Nordic-German Bellona, was a Valkyrie who conveyed fallen warriors to Valhalla. Warfare was often called Hild's Game. Hilda of Whitby was an early Christian saint.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Hilda
Hilda first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 60 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1921, when 2,128 Hildas were born — ranking #123 that year. As of 2026, Hilda ranks #2,872 for baby girls with 58 births, rising sharply (+29% over the past five years). In total, more than 81K Hildas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Hilda
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Hilda of Whitby (c. 614-680), English saint
- Princess Hilda (disambiguation) , various princesses
- Hilda Aitken (1891–1987), Bermudian politician
- Hilda Baci (born 1995), Nigerian chef and actress
- Hilda Bernard (1920–2022), Argentine stage, screen and television actress
- Hilda Bernstein (1915–2006), British author, artist, and anti-apartheid and women's rights activist
- Hilda Borgström (1871–1954), Swedish actress
- Hilda Bettermann (1942-2023), American politician
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Hilda
Phonetically similar names — useful when Hilda 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 Hilda
What does the name Hilda mean?
How popular is Hilda in 2026?
When was Hilda most popular?
In which U.S. states is Hilda most popular?
Is Hilda a unisex name?
What names go well with Hilda?
About the name Hilda
Hilda is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 81K births in the dataset. Hilda's peak popularity came in 1921 when it ranked #87. Use the chart and map above to compare Hilda's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1921 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- 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.