Baby Names US
girls' name ★ peaked 1918

Hedwig

Meaning fight Gender Girl Rank 2025 Below top lists

From German Hedwig, from Old High German Haduwig, Hadwig, from Proto-Germanic *Haþuwīgą (from *haþuz (“fight”) +‎ *wīgą (“battle”)).

Rank 2025
–
among girls
Babies in 2025
<5
named Hedwig
How common
–
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1918
159 babies
All-time total
3,077
#3,552 all-time among girls
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Hedwig popularity over time

3,077 babies have been named Hedwig since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.080.150.230.318801900192019401960198020002020Peak 1891Girls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Per year Change Best rank
1880s 151 15 – #429
1890s 336 34 +123% #363
1900s 295 30 -12% #496
1910s 1,090 109 +269% #504
1920s 808 81 -26% #637
1930s 173 17 -79% #1,435
1940s 117 12 -32% #2,042
1950s 79 8 -32% #2,857
1960s 28 3 -65% #4,662
1970s – – – –
1980s – – – –
1990s – – – –
2000s – – – –
2010s – – – –
2020s (to 2025) – – – –

The story of Hedwig

Hedwig is not currently in use for newborns in the United States: fewer than five babies received the name in 2025. Its story lives in the historical record below.

Since 1880, 3,077 American babies have been named Hedwig. Its peak came in 1918, when 159 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1910s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Hedwig stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Hedwig?

The median living Hedwig is about 79 years old; half are between 71 and 87. An estimated 200 people named Hedwig are alive in the United States today.

median 79 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Hedwig year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank
2025 – –
2024 – –
2023 – –
2022 – –
2021 – –
2020 – –
2019 – –
2018 – –
2017 – –
2016 – –
2015 – –
2014 – –
2013 – –
2012 – –
2011 – –
2010 – –
2009 – –
2008 – –
2007 – –
2006 – –
2005 – –
2004 – –
2003 – –
2002 – –
2001 – –
2000 – –
1995 – –
1990 – –
1985 – –
1980 – –
1975 – –
1970 – –
1965 – –
1960 7 #5,362
1955 11 #3,648
1950 8 #4,089
1945 8 #3,493
1940 13 #2,347
1935 16 #2,042
1930 27 #1,509
1925 61 #955
1920 128 #637
1915 152 #504
1910 43 #649
1905 28 #674
1900 18 #895
1895 41 #445
1890 28 #495
1885 11 #673
1880 7 #704

Famous people named Hedwig

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Hedwig of Silesia Hedwig of Silesia High Duchess consort of Poland 1174–1243 · Medieval
  2. 2 Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp Queen of Sweden from 1654 to 1660 1636–1715 · 17th century
  3. 3 Hedwig of Saxony Hedwig of Saxony Mother of Hugh Capet (c. 910 – after 958) 922–965 · Medieval
  4. 4 Hedwig Kohn Hedwig Kohn German-American physicist 1887–1964 · 19th century
  5. 5 Hedwig Jagiellon, Electress of Brandenburg Hedwig Jagiellon, Electress of Brandenburg Electress consort of Brandenburg 1513–1573 · 16th century
  6. 6 Hedwig Jagiellon, Duchess of Bavaria Hedwig Jagiellon, Duchess of Bavaria Duchess consort of Bavaria-Landshut 1457–1502 · Medieval
  7. 7 Hedwig of Denmark Hedwig of Denmark Electress consort of Saxony 1581–1641 · 16th century

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Hedwig, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Hedwig?

The median living Hedwig is about 79 years old. Half of all living Hedwigs are between 71 and 87 years old.

How many people named Hedwig are alive today?

An estimated 200 people named Hedwig are alive in the United States, based on 3,077 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Hedwig mean?

From German Hedwig, from Old High German Haduwig, Hadwig, from Proto-Germanic *Haþuwīgą (from *haþuz (“fight”) +‎ *wīgą (“battle”)).

How popular is the name Hedwig in 2025?

Hedwig did not appear in the 2025 Social Security data, which means fewer than five babies received the name that year.

How many people are named Hedwig?

3,077 babies have been named Hedwig in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Hedwig most popular?

Hedwig peaked in 1918, when 159 newborns received the name.

Is Hedwig a boy or girl name?

Hedwig is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Hedwig rising or falling?

Hedwig has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Who are famous people named Hedwig?

Well-known people named Hedwig include Hedwig of Silesia (politician), Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp (politician), Hedwig of Saxony (politician).

Names like Hedwig

Names that sound and feel close to Hedwig: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Hedwig with similar names → More names starting with H →