A 1890s favorite, climbing again.
Popularity of Edda since 1895
Babies named Edda per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1930, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Edda's real moment was 1895.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 6 |
| 1900s | 10 |
| 1910s | 37 |
| 1920s | 79 |
| 1930s | 115 |
| 1940s | 103 |
| 1950s | 107 |
| 1960s | 74 |
| 1970s | 33 |
| 1980s | 0 |
| 1990s | 7 |
| 2000s | 15 |
| 2010s | 82 |
| 2020s | 67 |
Meaning & origin
Edda has a long but quiet history in the United States. First recorded in 1895, it has remained an uncommon name, with its peak usage occurring in that same year. After decades of low usage, the name has been rising slowly since 2004, indicating a modest revival. Currently, it ranks 10,107, and a newborn girl named Edda in 2025 would share the name with about 1 in 178,585 girls. The name's appeal likely stems from its literary and Norse mythological connections rather than widespread popularity.
The name Edda is most famously associated with the Poetic Edda and Prose Edda, two major works of Old Norse literature. The word 'edda' itself has uncertain etymology, possibly meaning 'great-grandmother' in Old Norse, or derived from 'óðr' meaning 'poetry' or 'inspiration.' As a given name, it has been used in Iceland and Scandinavia since the 19th century, gaining some popularity in other parts of Europe and America.
“Edda” around the world
Where Edda lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
5
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Sibling names for Edda
Names that share Edda's style, for a brother or sister.
