Hildegard
Hildegard is a female name derived from the Old High German hild and gard, and means 'battle enclosure'. Variant spellings include: Hildegarde; the Polish, Portuguese, Slovene and Spanish Hildegarda; the Italian Ildegarda; the Hungarian Hildegárd; and the ancient German Hildegardis.
Meaning & Origin of Hildegard
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Hildegard is a female name derived from the Old High German hild and gard, and means 'battle enclosure'. Variant spellings include: Hildegarde; the Polish, Portuguese, Slovene and Spanish Hildegarda; the Italian Ildegarda; the Hungarian Hildegárd; and the ancient German Hildegardis.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Hildegard
Hildegard first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1888, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1915, when 81 Hildegards were born — ranking #738 that year. As of 2026, Hildegard ranks #5,598 for baby girls with 22 births, rising sharply (+96% over the past five years). In total, more than 2K Hildegards have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Hildegard
Phonetically similar names — useful when Hildegard is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Hildegarde
- Wildcard
- Hilliard
- Hillyard
- Halliard
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Hildegard
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About the name Hildegard
Hildegard is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1888 and has accumulated 2K births in the dataset. Hildegard's peak popularity came in 1915 when it ranked #611. Use the chart and map above to compare Hildegard's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1915 →
- Names of the 1910s →
- 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.