Girl's name
Hedda
Say it HED-uh
Used in Swedish 2 syllables
Where Hedda is loved, common and rare
Loved in Norway. Common across Sweden and two more places. Rare in three German cities, Switzerland, Austria and one more place.
1 in 74 girls born in Norway in 2025
Norway 9thSweden 21stCologne 258th
LovedCommonRare
Every place
In 10 of the 40 official lists, among them Norway (9th), Sweden (21st) and Cologne (258th).
Show all 10 placesShow less
| Place | Rank | Girls | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norway | 9th 2025 | 296 | 1 in 74 |
| Sweden | 21st 2025 | 331 | about 1 in 121 |
| Cologne city | 258th 2023 | 4 | about 1 in 1,536 |
| Berlin city | 385th 2023 | 8 | about 1 in 1,813 |
| Switzerland | 1792nd 2025 | 2 | 1 in 16,997 |
| Austria | 1875th 2025 | 1 | 1 in 35,722 |
| France | 3366th 2025 | 5 | 1 in 57,359 |
| Rostock city | 23rd 2025 | 6 | about 1 in 164 |
| Leipzig city | 66th 2025 | 8 | about 1 in 328 |
| Bonn city | 173rd 2025 | 3 | about 1 in 1,005 |
Rare, below the listed names: England and Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Munich, Spain, Catalonia, Italy, Poland, Hungary, Slovenia and Israel.
Not in a short top list, so no figure: Nova Scotia (top 21), Denmark (top 50), Finland (top 50), Iceland (top 10), Estonia (top 25), Moscow (top 61), Turkey (top 30), Argentina (top 20) and Croatia (top 50).
Germany publishes no national statistics on first names. German figures here are city lists (Berlin, Munich, Cologne, Bonn, Leipzig, Rostock), never the country.
Sources: Statistics Norway (SSB) (Norway); Skatteverket (Swedish Tax Agency) (Sweden); Stadt Köln, Standesamt (offenedaten-koeln.de) (Cologne); BerlinOnline GmbH; Landesamt für Bürger- und Ordnungsangelegenheiten (LABO) / Standesämter (Berlin); Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS) / Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS) (Switzerland); Statistik Austria (OGDEXT_VORNAMEN_1) (Austria); INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (France); Hanse- und Universitätsstadt Rostock (opendata-hro.de) (Rostock); Stadt Leipzig, Standesamt (opendata.leipzig.de) (Leipzig); Bundesstadt Bonn, Standesamt (opendata.bonn.de) (Bonn). How we count, and every source
About the name
Hedda is used in Swedish, and it is known as a name of that language without a recorded etymology or meaning. Hedvig and Hedwig are listed as related names, and it is best understood as part of that Nordic group. Hedda Gabler, the title character of Ibsen's play, is its best-known literary bearer.
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Two syllables, said HED-uh, with the stress on the first. Heddy is a pet form, and Heda is a simpler spelling.
Norway is where it is most popular, as a top-10 name, and Sweden also ranks it among the top 25. It appears only rarely further south, in Switzerland, and the data show no English-speaking rankings. It is rising in several regions, so it is a strong, current choice in Scandinavia.
Meaning, origin, pronunciation
- Pronounced
- HED-uh, 2 syllables
- Used in
- Swedish
- Other spellings
- Hedvig
- Hetta
- Heta
- Hedwig
- Heddy
- Heda
Over time
Over five years: rising in 4 of 7 regions, falling in 1.
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Rank in each place since 1996; higher on the chart is more popular.
Ten years of ranks
Her rank each year, English-speaking regions first. A blank means no published rank for her that year.
| Region | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| France | 3634 | 3605 | 3608 | 3650 | 1879 | 3443 | 3366 | |||
| Berlin | 458 | 345 | 223 | 277 | 264 | 188 | 426 | 385 | ||
| Bonn | 314 | 222 | 380 | 173 | ||||||
| Leipzig | 253 | 124 | 110 | 186 | 191 | 201 | 87 | 163 | 117 | 66 |
| Rostock | 136 | 107 | 202 | 53 | 126 | 102 | 187 | 68 | 31 | 23 |
| Norway | 28 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 7 | 9 |
| Sweden | 97 | 82 | 60 | 25 | 25 | 19 | 25 | 20 | 19 | 21 |
Norway, 1996 to 2025
| Year | Rank | Girls | per 100,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 9 | 296 | 1,358.0 |
| 2024 | 7 | 277 | 1,332.7 |
| 2023 | 14 | 243 | 1,139.3 |
| 2022 | 13 | 233 | 1,149.6 |
| 2021 | 11 | 254 | 1,280.4 |
| 2020 | 12 | 238 | 1,154.6 |
| 2019 | 17 | 230 | 1,070.8 |
| 2018 | 18 | 214 | 986.9 |
| 2017 | 19 | 211 | 939.0 |
| 2016 | 28 | 188 | 801.1 |
| 2015 | 22 | 209 | 885.7 |
| 2014 | 23 | 212 | 888.7 |
| 2013 | 28 | 191 | 788.6 |
| 2012 | 23 | 219 | 875.1 |
| 2011 | 33 | 176 | 699.3 |
| 2010 | 28 | 210 | 802.2 |
| 2009 | 35 | 185 | 691.5 |
| 2008 | 25 | 228 | 863.4 |
| 2007 | 22 | 231 | 889.9 |
| 2006 | 19 | 264 | 1,006.6 |
| 2005 | 19 | 252 | 973.3 |
| 2004 | 18 | 277 | 1,068.1 |
| 2003 | 20 | 256 | 987.2 |
| 2002 | 17 | 280 | 1,085.1 |
| 2001 | 16 | 305 | 1,164.0 |
| 2000 | 30 | 220 | 810.5 |
| 1999 | 31 | 216 | 793.2 |
| 1998 | 33 | 211 | 773.0 |
| 1997 | 79 | 100 | 359.8 |
| 1996 | 102 | 79 | 276.2 |
Sources: Statistics Norway (SSB) (1945-2025), CC BY 4.0.
Sister names for Hedda
1 in 4,473 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Hedda.
1 in 31,660 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Hedda.
1 in 63,320 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Hedda.
1 in 256 in Norway
Rose and fell with Hedda.
1 in 152 in Norway
Rose and fell with Hedda.
1 in 352 in Norway
Rose and fell with Hedda.
1 in 36,183 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Hedda.
1 in 16,885 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Hedda.
1 in 71 in Norway
Rose and fell with Hedda.
1 in 117 in Norway
Rose and fell with Hedda.
Middle names for Hedda
1 in 57 in Northern Ireland
Hedda Grace
2-1 beats · initials HG
Changes the beat after Hedda: 2 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 71 in Scotland
Hedda Olivia
2-4 beats · initials HO · Hedda slides into Olivia: vowel meets vowel.
Changes the beat after Hedda: 2 syllables, then 4 syllables. Hedda slides into Olivia: vowel meets vowel.
1 in 99 in Scotland
Hedda Sophia
2-3 beats · initials HS
Changes the beat after Hedda: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 311 in Ireland
Hedda Maria
2-3 beats · initials HM
Changes the beat after Hedda: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 214 in Northern Ireland
Hedda Rose
2-1 beats · initials HR
Changes the beat after Hedda: 2 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 78 in Northern Ireland
Hedda Emily
2-3 beats · initials HE · Hedda slides into Emily: vowel meets vowel.
Changes the beat after Hedda: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables. Hedda slides into Emily: vowel meets vowel.
1 in 491 in Ireland
Hedda Julia
2-3 beats · initials HJ
Changes the beat after Hedda: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 1,286 in England and Wales
Hedda Miriam
2-3 beats · initials HM
Changes the beat after Hedda: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
Same style as Hedda
Names whose popularity rose and fell with hers across regions and decades.
1 in 71 in Norway
93% alike: moves with Hedda across countries and decades.
1 in 325 in Norway
92% alike: moves with Hedda across countries and decades.
1 in 484 in Norway
91% alike: moves with Hedda across countries and decades.
1 in 100 in Norway
91% alike: moves with Hedda across countries and decades.
1 in 161 in Norway
90% alike: moves with Hedda across countries and decades.
1 in 16,885 in England and Wales
89% alike: moves with Hedda across countries and decades.
1 in 128 in Norway
89% alike: moves with Hedda across countries and decades.
1 in 84,427 in England and Wales
89% alike: moves with Hedda across countries and decades.
Famous people named Hedda
Hedda Hopper, Hedda Berntsen, Hedda Zinner and Hedda Andersson.
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-
American gossip columnist and actress (1885–1966)
-
Norwegian freestyle skier born 1976
-
German political writer, translator, actress, and journalist (1904–1994)
-
Swedish physician (1861-1950)
People: Wikidata (CC0), linked to Wikipedia in this page's language when an article exists.
Questions about Hedda
4 questions, on how popular she is, how to say it, whether she is rising and sister names.
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How popular is Hedda?
Her best rank is No. 9 in Norway in 2025, about 1 in 74 girls. She is in the published lists of 10 of our 40 regions.
How do you pronounce Hedda?
HED-uh, with 2 syllables.
Is Hedda getting more popular?
Over five years: rising in 4 of 7 regions, falling in 1.
Which sister names go with Hedda?
The deck's top five sisters for Hedda: Alva, Linnea, Saga, Ronja and Signe. Each is scored on style, era, popularity and origin, with sound clashes flagged.