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Heidi

♀ Girl

Pronounced HY-dee /ˈhaɪ.di/High

Meaning: Swiss German diminutive of Adelheid (Adelaide), from the Old German 'adal' (noble) and 'heid' (kind, type, nature) — meaning 'noble kind' or 'of noble character'.High

In 30 seconds: Heidi is the cheerful Swiss Alpine diminutive of Adelaide, made globally iconic by Johanna Spyri's beloved 1881 novel. It captures alpine freshness, childhood innocence, and warm German heritage.
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Origin HighOld German
MeaningSwiss German diminutive of Adelheid (Adelaide), from the Old German 'adal' (noble) and 'heid' (kind, type, nature) — meaning 'noble kind' or 'of noble character'.
U.S. rank (2025)#340 ↗ Rising
2025 U.S. births894 girls (0.05% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1972
Total births (all-time)≈ 149,320

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 197219292025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

History & Origin

Heidi is a Swiss German pet form of Adelheid, the German form of Adelaide. Adelheid is composed of Old German adal (noble) and heid (kind, nature, or type), conveying 'of noble nature'. The diminutive Heidi became widely used in German-speaking Switzerland, Germany, and Austria. Johanna Spyri's novel Heidi (1881), about an orphaned girl living in the Swiss Alps, brought the name international attention.

Heidi gained English-speaking popularity through Spyri's novel and its numerous adaptations, entering the US name charts in the mid-twentieth century. It reached peak popularity in the United States in the late 1960s and 1970s, coinciding with a television film adaptation. Today Heidi ranks in the US top 300, valued for its Germanic warmth, its literary credentials, and its crisp, cheerful two-syllable sound.

Did you know? Heidi (1881) by Swiss author Johanna Spyri is one of the best-selling children's books of all time, with over 50 million copies sold, and has been adapted into films, television series, and stage productions in more than 40 countries — making Heidi one of literature's most internationally beloved characters.
Overall data confidence 93%
Behind the Name: Heidi — Germanic etymology and literary historySpyri, Johanna. Heidi, 1881 — The novel that launched global awareness of the name

Variations

HeideHeidie

Nicknames

Hei

Famous Bearers

  • ★Heidi (fictional) (1881)
    Titular character of Johanna Spyri's classic Swiss novel about an alpine orphan girl, one of the most beloved characters in children's literature.
  • ★Heidi Klum (1973–)
    German-American supermodel, television host, and designer.

If you like Heidi…

Greta— two-syllable German classic with the same crisp, Alpine European quality
Britta— two-syllable Germanic Scandinavian name with the same clean, refreshing character
Inga— two-syllable Germanic-Scandinavian feminine name with the same Old World European charm

Frequently Asked

What does the name Heidi mean?

Heidi means 'noble kind' or 'of noble nature', as a Swiss German diminutive of Adelheid (adal = noble, heid = kind).

How do you pronounce Heidi?

Heidi is pronounced HY-dee (/ˈhaɪ.di/), two syllables with stress on the first.

Is Heidi a boy or girl name?

Heidi is a girl's name.

How popular is Heidi?

Heidi peaked in the US top 50 in the 1970s and remains in the top 300, a beloved literary and cultural classic.