The first name Ida
A girl’s name meaning “work”.
Pronounced /ˈaɪdə/ 2 syllables Female Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Ida means “work”.
Short form of obsolete names beginning with Germanic īd "work", used for both sexes in medieval England. It was revived in the 19th century, partly mistaken for a Greek name, for the Mount Ida of classical mythology.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 126 girls were named Ida, making it the 342nd most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2021, with 185 births (#257).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Ida with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Ida at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 209 girls born in the United States were named Ida, the 1,120th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1918, when 4,450 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Ida in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Ida in Czech, Danish, German, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese and Swedish too.
Famous people named Ida
71 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Ida LupinoBritish actress (1918–1995)
- Ida B. WellsAmerican journalist and civil rights activist (1862–1931)
- Ida NoddackGerman chemist (1896–1978)
- Ida TarbellAmerican journalist (1857-1944)
- Ida Saxton McKinleyFirst Lady of the United States from 1897 to 1901
- Ida Laura PfeifferAustrian explorer and writer, editor (1797-1858)
- Ida CorrGambian-Danish singer and songwriter (born 1977)
- Ida of LorraineFrench saint and noblewoman, 1040–1113
- Ida of Formbach-RatelnbergAustrian royal (1060-1101)
- Ida, Countess of BoulogneFrench countess, 1160–1216
- Ida FreundAustrian-British chemist, 1863–1914
- Ida KarBritish photographer (1908-1974)
Questions
- What does the name Ida mean?
- Ida means “work”.
- How popular is the name Ida?
- In 2025, 126 girls born in England and Wales were named Ida, ranking 342nd. Its peak was 2021, with 185 births.
- Is Ida a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 188,695 US babies named Ida since 1880 were girls.
- When was Ida most popular?
- 1918 in the United States, when 4,450 babies were named Ida, its highest rank at 57th.
- How do you pronounce Ida?
- Ida is /ˈaɪdə/, 2 syllables.
- Is Ida also a surname?
- Yes. Ida is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.