Nameling

Hilda

Gender
Girl
Say it
HIL-da
Origin
Germanic
UK rank, 2025
#1,868 for girls
US rank, 2025
#2,998 for girls

Vintage revival

Hilda is a girls' name of Germanic origin, meaning “battle”. In 2025 it ranked 1,868th for girls in the UK (16 babies) and 2,998th for girls in the US (55 babies).

What does Hilda mean?

Germanic: from Germanic hild

“battle”

Saint Hilda founded Whitby Abbey in 657 and hosted the Synod of Whitby there in 664.

More on Wiktionary.

Is Hilda a girl's or a boy's name?

Hilda is a girls' name. In 2025, it was given to 16 girls in the UK and 55 girls in the US. Too few boys were given it to be listed.

How popular is Hilda in the UK?

Rank in 2025
#1,868among girls
Babies in 2025
16about 1 in 17,000 girls
Five-year trend
Risingup 57% in five years
Same name in a class
under 1%chance among 15 girls

In 2025, 16 girls in the UK were named Hilda, making it the 1,868th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 2,766th. Its busiest year was 2022, with 16 girls.

Half of all the girls named Hilda in the UK since 1996 were born between 2011 and 2022, the years shaded on the chart below.

Among girls in 2025, it was 1,809th in England and Wales.

In the England and Wales top 100 for girls, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1904 (#14), 1914 (#15), 1924 (#26) and 1934 (#61).

1996Busiest: 16 in 20222025
Hilda in the UK, year by year
YearGirlsRank
202516#1,868
20247#3,381
202310#2,640
202216#1,873
202112#2,325
20209#2,766
20197#3,340
20185#4,204
201711#2,485
20166#3,788
20156#3,777
20146#3,702
20136#3,719
20124#5,058
20114#4,980
20104#4,931
20097#3,201
20080–
20074#4,494
20063#5,259
20059#2,360
20040–
20033#4,560
20020–
20013#4,156
20000–
19990–
19980–
19973#3,991
19963#3,935

How popular is Hilda in the US?

Rank in 2025
#2,998among girls
Babies in 2025
55about 1 in 29,000 girls
Five-year trend
Steadyup 20% in five years
Same name in a class
under 1%chance among 15 girls

In 2025, 55 girls in the US were named Hilda, making it the 2,998th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 3,399th. Its busiest year was 1921, with 2,128 girls.

Half of all the girls named Hilda in the US since 1880 were born between 1915 and 1946, the years shaded on the chart below.

1880Busiest: 2,128 in 19212025
Hilda in the US, year by year
YearGirlsRank
202555#2,998
202454#3,013
202356#2,975
202260#2,821
202146#3,389
202045#3,399
201948#3,271
201845#3,437
201736#4,065
201640#3,777
201549#3,299
201444#3,547
201333#4,334
201265#2,708
201141#3,722
201047#3,408
200975#2,509
200862#2,855
200761#2,930
200690#2,149
200575#2,356
200488#2,065
200386#2,060
2002120#1,557
200188#1,953
200082#2,012
1999106#1,578
1998103#1,585
1997112#1,464
1996124#1,356
1995138#1,232
1994148#1,188
1993152#1,160
1992158#1,122
1991163#1,100
1990158#1,101
1989172#1,001
1988139#1,112
1987146#1,052
1986170#933
1985183#874
1984188#832
1983195#797
1982219#756
1981242#697
1980253#684
1979221#739
1978237#670
1977197#764
1976279#585
1975249#630
1974304#552
1973236#638
1972284#578
1971277#613
1970298#588
1969285#586
1968250#609
1967292#552
1966291#555
1965377#487
1964411#476
1963380#498
1962428#466
1961424#474
1960458#456
1959466#444
1958524#405
1957587#373
1956626#348
1955660#331
1954658#330
1953727#305
1952665#313
1951708#296
1950682#296
1949704#292
1948798#273
1947843#262
1946718#270
1945680#259
1944745#241
1943703#263
1942784#244
1941795#218
1940797#215
1939762#221
1938850#205
1937761#219
1936822#204
1935867#199
1934929#192
1933957#179
19321,105#172
19311,098#167
19301,303#158
19291,334#157
19281,574#148
19271,669#144
19261,847#139
19251,824#142
19241,941#141
19231,862#140
19221,962#131
19212,128#123
19202,050#125
19191,917#123
19182,118#114
19172,006#112
19162,075#105
19151,891#107
19141,525#103
19131,275#105
19121,158#104
1911916#101
1910793#108
1909773#100
1908735#102
1907702#101
1906705#97
1905655#101
1904629#98
1903698#88
1902649#94
1901574#92
1900663#101
1899621#87
1898610#97
1897561#94
1896549#95
1895513#104
1894470#105
1893410#107
1892370#121
1891324#122
1890304#127
1889251#138
1888219#146
1887156#156
1886143#161
1885121#168
1884125#157
188399#169
188258#226
188148#222
188060#198

Names like Hilda

Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.

Ada Etta Ida Eva Martha Matilda Clara Rosa Florence Nora Alma Elsie

Names related to Hilda

Hilde

More Germanic names

Amelia Liam Henry Charlotte William Archie Charlie Emma Freddie Ella Harry Millie Albie Louie Miles Alice

Every Germanic name

Sources

Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.

To cite this page: Nameling, “Hilda: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/hilda, updated 20 October 2026.