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Ida Name Meaning, Origins & History

Ida

Pronunciation: EYE-duh

Meaning Prosperous, happy Origin Germanic Gender Girl
GIRLS RANK
#1,120
TREND
23
Peak Years
1918, 1916, 1917
Lowest Years
1999, 2002, 2004
Energy Archetype
Compassionate & Creative

Rank shows the name’s position among U.S. baby names for each gender in 2025. Trend shows how many places it rose or fell since 2024. Rank 1 is the most popular. Based on U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) data. Peak and lowest years are based on the number of girls named Ida in the available records.

Fun Facts About the Name Ida

  • Decades of popularity: Ida stayed in the U.S. top 100 for 52 consecutive years, from 1880 through 1931.
  • More than 188 thousand babies named Ida: U.S. records list 188,689 babies given the name Ida from 1880 through 2025. Even 766 boys received the name Ida - about 1 boy for every 245 girls.

What Does the Name Ida Mean?

Ida is a name of Germanic origin meaning "industrious." Its root is an old Germanic element for "work," "deed," or "activity," which appears in Old Norse as íð and in Old High German as id. In early Germanic naming this element was used to build longer compound names, and Ida is generally explained as a shortened form of one of those compounds, carrying the sense of a person who works or is active. The meaning is a literal description of labor and activity rather than a symbolic or spiritual claim.

A second explanation connects the name to Mount Ida, the mountain in Crete and the mountain of the same name in northwestern Anatolia. The two explanations coexist mainly because the name is short and the spellings match across languages; the Germanic derivation from the work element is the one more commonly given, and the two origins are usually treated as separate. Neither a single line of descent nor a firm choice between them can be proven for every use of the name.

Ida Name History & Origins

Ida is found in medieval Europe as a name for both men and women. In Anglo-Saxon England, Ida was the name of a sixth-century king of Bernicia, in the north of England. On the continent it was used by Frankish noblewomen: Itta, also recorded as Ida, of Nivelles founded an abbey there in the seventh century, and Ida of Boulogne in the eleventh century was the mother of Godfrey of Bouillon, a leader of the First Crusade. A related Norse name, Íði, belongs to a giant in the old mythology and comes from the same element for "work."

The name remained in use in England through the Middle Ages and traveled with Germanic and Scandinavian settlement and later migration. In the nineteenth century it was a familiar given name in the English-speaking world, and it appears in literature of that period, including the Princess Ida of Tennyson's poem The Princess (1847) and the Gilbert and Sullivan opera Princess Ida (1884). Those works drew on a name that was already long established rather than coining it. Ida also continued as an ordinary given name in Germany and Scandinavia.

How Popular is the Name Ida?

Ida remained among the top 100 girl names in the U.S. from 1880 to 1931. Its highest annual birth count was in 1918, and people born that year turn 108 in 2026.

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.

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.

Explore Name Lists Featuring Ida

Carl appears in several baby name collections based on U.S. popularity records, naming trends, and name characteristics. Explore these lists to discover other names with similar histories, styles, or features.

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How the Name Ida Shapes Your Personality and Life?

Your tendency is to finish whatever you start. You like to use the pen or the needle (writing, fashion design etc). You are loving, compassionate, intuitive and humanitarian. Runs of luck, either good or bad, follow you. You are sympathetic, but at times might be touchy and oversensitive. You may have a gift for writing. You are intuitive and might be interested in the arts, drama or science.

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.

✦ Ida's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Ida's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.
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