Ida
Feminine
Ida is overwhelmingly a girls’ name — 187,929 girls against 766 boys since 1880. See Ida as a boy name
Ida is three letters, recorded for boys and girls alike, and it points in two directions at once. It is an old Germanic name brought to England by the Normans, and it is also a mountain in Crete with a cave in it.
How old is the name Ida?
Ida was already in use when US birth records began in 1880 — it is at least 145 years old. The typical Ida alive today was born around 1918, making them about 107 years old. About 37,500 people named Ida are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Ida most popular?
Ida peaked in 1880, reaching #7 nationally. Today it ranks #1120, 1,113 places below that high. See the whole 1880 chart.
Ida appears on these lists:
- Three-letter names: tiny and complete
- The top-10 club: every name that made it
- Forgotten treasures from the old records
- Scandinavian names, cool by design
- Names borrowed from explorers
- First Lady names through the centuries
- all guides
Works in Scandinavian families too:
Where it comes from
Origin, sound and short forms
Our story of Ida
The story says that Zeus was born in secret and hidden in a cave on Mount Ida in Crete, because his father was in the habit of swallowing his children, and that he was raised there by nymphs with a goat for a nurse while armed attendants clashed their shields outside to cover the sound of his crying. There is a cave on the mountain, it was in use as a sanctuary for a very long time, and excavation has produced quantities of votive offerings including bronze shields. The Greeks were quite sure about the location, which is more than they were about most of it. There is a second Mount Ida in Turkey with an entirely different set of stories attached.
Meaningnot established
Not established
The Germanic name has been connected to a word for work or labor and the derivation is not secure. The Greek mountain name is a separate word entirely. Both roads are live and the record does not indicate which a family meant.
Pronouncing Ida
EYE-duh
Two syllables with the stress in front. In German and Italian the first vowel is the ee of see instead.
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1880
- Most girls named
- 19184,450 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #7reached in 1880
- Change vs 2022
- −7.5%209 in 2025, from 226
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Ida in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Ida in German — same name
- Ida in Italian — same name
Strongest US states over the last decade: California, Minnesota, New York.
Idas among us
people named Ida are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 girl in 7,690 born in 2025 was named Ida
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
Fashion outlook
Ida sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Where Ida is headed
Ida should hold steady through 2030 — the curve is flat, and flat curves are the most predictable kind.
High confidence — fitted on official counts through 2025.
A damped-trend projection of the official birth data — a sketch of momentum, not a promise. Every name's forecast, ranked.
Ida beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Ida in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US girls given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- Three letters and two syllables: about as clean as a name gets in any language.
- It works in English, German, Italian and Scandinavian households without adjustment.
- It is recorded for boys and for girls, so it does not force a reading on anyone.
- In America it reads as belonging to a much older generation, which is either the appeal or the obstacle.
- The first vowel is said two different ways on either side of the Atlantic.
- Two unrelated origins are possible, so the meaning question has no single answer.
Nobody names a baby alone.
Put Ida to the vote.
Add it to a family vote or a couple’s swipe deck — the other person gets one card, a simple answer and room to say why. No app, no account for them.
Only the people you invite can see your list.
Already decided on Ida? Hide it among decoys and let them guess.
What they receive
Someone added a name to your list
Ida
Feminine · #1120 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Idas are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 37,500 people named Ida are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Ida in 2025?
- Ida ranks #1120 among US girl names in 2025, with 209 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Ida?
- About 1 in every 7,690 US girls born in 2025 was named Ida — 209 in all.
- Will my child share the name Ida with classmates?
- Ida will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Ida
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Raquel#1120 · Ingrid#1120 · Princess#1120 · Xolani#1120 · Rhiannon#1119 · Imogen#1117 · Kacey#1117 · Kit#1125
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Ida? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Ida and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
Compare side by sideIn a hurry? Just pick a winner — one tap, no sign-up, and you see how everyone else voted.
Weighing a whole shortlist? Add the rest in the builder, or settle it with a bracket.
Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
No advertising trackers and no data sellinghow we handle your dataindependent and founder-run, about Name Battle