Ethelda

Meaning & origin

Ethelda is a vintage English name that enjoyed a brief period of popularity in the early 20th century. According to U.S. Social Security data, it first appeared on the records in 1910, and its peak year was 1920, during the 1920s decade when names like Ethel and Edith were fashionable. Since then, its usage has declined sharply, and it has become a rare choice. The name's trajectory is stable, meaning it has not seen a revival in recent decades. Its one-in-N popularity is unavailable, as it did not meet the threshold for ranking. Ethelda reflects the common pattern of creating feminine names by adding a suffix to the popular root Ethel, which itself derives from the Old English word for "noble."

Ethelda is a feminine given name derived from the Old English elements "æðel" meaning "noble" and "-da" probably a short form or suffix. It is a variant of the name Ethel, which was popular in the 19th century as part of the revival of Anglo-Saxon names. Ethelda saw modest usage in the early 20th century, peaking in the 1920s, but has since become rare.