Fun Facts About the Name Edda
- 732 babies named Edda: U.S. records list 732 babies given the name Edda from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Edda Mean?
Edda is a female given name used mainly in Scandinavia and in German-speaking countries, and no single etymology is agreed on. The Old Norse noun edda is commonly translated "great-grandmother," and this is one proposed source of the name. The origin of that word itself is debated; it may be connected to óðr, an Old Norse term for poetry or poetic inspiration, and the title of the medieval Icelandic Edda is explained in several competing ways. In German use, Edda is often understood as a pet form of names beginning with Ed-, such as Hedwig or Edith, rather than as a name with its own root. Because these explanations point to different sources, the meaning of Edda as a given name is not settled.
Edda Name History & Origins
The word Edda is known from two medieval Icelandic works: the Poetic Edda, a collection of Old Norse poems preserved mainly in a 13th-century manuscript, and the Prose Edda, a handbook of Norse mythology and poetics attributed to Snorri Sturluson. The origin and meaning of the word as a title are disputed, and the word predates any use of Edda as a personal name.
As a female first name, Edda appears in Scandinavia and in German-speaking countries. In German it is often treated as a shortened form of names beginning with Ed-, such as Hedwig or Edith, rather than as a name with an independent root. In Scandinavian use it is more often taken as a name in its own right, associated with the Old Norse noun edda ("great-grandmother") and with the literary Eddas. A 20th-century bearer was Edda Ciano (1910 - 1995), daughter of Benito Mussolini.
How Popular is the Name Edda?
Edda has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 1930. Its best rank was #1,470 in 1895.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #10,318 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 2024 | #6,681 | 17 | 0.0011% |
| 2023 | #8,170 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 2022 | #11,484 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2021 | #9,136 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 2020 | #13,885 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2019 | #9,936 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2018 | #8,755 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2017 | #10,928 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2016 | #13,297 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2015 | #8,591 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2014 | #12,239 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2013 | #11,267 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2012 | #13,903 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2010 | #13,884 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2009 | #18,089 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2008 | #18,310 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2006 | #17,921 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1996 | #10,909 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1975 | #7,376 | 7 | 0.0005% |
| 1974 | #5,457 | 10 | 0.0007% |
| 1973 | #6,859 | 7 | 0.0005% |
| 1972 | #5,601 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 1969 | #6,132 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1968 | #4,062 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1966 | #6,852 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1965 | #5,434 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1964 | #6,212 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1963 | #4,634 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1962 | #6,059 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1961 | #5,450 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1960 | #3,255 | 15 | 0.0007% |
| 1959 | #3,886 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 1958 | #3,794 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 1957 | #3,762 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 1956 | #3,391 | 13 | 0.0006% |
| 1955 | #6,087 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1954 | #5,969 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1953 | #2,969 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1952 | #3,892 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1951 | #3,152 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1950 | #2,581 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1949 | #4,347 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1948 | #2,627 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 1947 | #3,793 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1946 | #3,085 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 1945 | #2,782 | 11 | 0.0008% |
| 1944 | #2,815 | 11 | 0.0008% |
| 1943 | #2,910 | 11 | 0.0008% |
| 1942 | #3,246 | 9 | 0.0007% |
| 1941 | #3,331 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1940 | #2,611 | 11 | 0.0010% |
| 1939 | #2,229 | 14 | 0.0013% |
| 1938 | #2,626 | 11 | 0.0010% |
| 1937 | #3,543 | 7 | 0.0007% |
| 1936 | #4,375 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1935 | #2,229 | 14 | 0.0013% |
| 1934 | #2,792 | 10 | 0.0010% |
| 1933 | #2,196 | 14 | 0.0014% |
| 1932 | #2,876 | 10 | 0.0009% |
| 1931 | #3,299 | 8 | 0.0008% |
| 1930 | #1,718 | 22 | 0.0020% |
| 1929 | #3,206 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1928 | #2,532 | 13 | 0.0011% |
| 1927 | #2,459 | 14 | 0.0012% |
| 1926 | #3,981 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1925 | #3,769 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1923 | #4,086 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1922 | #3,748 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1921 | #4,626 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1920 | #4,082 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1918 | #3,314 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1917 | #4,780 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1916 | #3,646 | 7 | 0.0007% |
| 1915 | #3,909 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1914 | #2,308 | 10 | 0.0013% |
| 1904 | #1,966 | 5 | 0.0018% |
| 1902 | #1,862 | 5 | 0.0019% |
| 1895 | #1,470 | 6 | 0.0026% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Edda Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are fine when in harmony but changeable when in discord, because many of your best qualities are then reversed. You are entertaining but may be impulsive. Freedom is a necessity, and you find it difficult to settle down. Your versatility results in many changes, and often brings travel. Your fine intellect is capable of high honors if applied seriously. You are capable of inspired thinking applied to material things. You can be restless, changeable, and very sexy. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
You are seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.
✦ Edda's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Edda's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.