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Home › Baby Names Directory › Hedwig

Hedwig

♀ Girl

Pronounced HED-vig /ˈhɛd.vɪɡ/Medium

Meaning: Hedwig is an old Germanic name from hadu ('battle, strife') and wig ('war'), a fierce compound softened by long use. Saint Hedwig of Silesia carried it into Christian tradition, and German immigrant families brought it to America.Medium

In 30 seconds: A stately old-world name: Hedwig joins two words for 'battle' and honors a medieval saint (said 'HED-vig'). It peaked around 1918, then faded.
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Origin MediumGerman
MeaningHedwig is an old Germanic name from hadu ('battle, strife') and wig ('war'), a fierce compound softened by long use. Saint Hedwig of Silesia carried it into Christian tradition, and German immigrant families brought it to America.
U.S. rank (1968)#6517 ↘ Falling
1968 U.S. births6 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1918
Total births (all-time)≈ 3,077

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 191818801968

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

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Hedwig is a Germanic name from hadu ('battle') and wig ('war'), long carried in central Europe and hallowed by Saint Hedwig of Silesia. German-speaking immigrants brought it to America, where it peaked around 1918. As families anglicized, it gave way to forms like Hedy and Edwina (said 'HED-vig').

The name grew rare across the twentieth century in the United States. It reads today as a dignified old-world classic. Battle-rooted, saintly, and now uncommon.

Did you know? Hedwig was borne by Saint Hedwig of Silesia and came to America with German immigrants, peaking around 1918 before immigrant naming shifted toward Anglicized forms.
Overall data confidence 65%
References — Hedwig — Germanic hadu 'battle' + wig 'war'; Saint Hedwig of Silesia

Variations

HedvigaJadwigaHedy

Nicknames

HedyWiggie

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Hedwig…

Hilda— a like old Germanic 'battle' name
Gertrude— a like stately German import
Wilhelmina— a like formal old-world feminine
Edwina— a like anglicized cousin in feel

Explore names like Hedwig

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Hedwig mean?

Hedwig means 'battle, war', from the Germanic hadu ('battle') and wig ('war').

How do you pronounce Hedwig?

It's traditionally said HED-vig /ˈhɛd.vɪɡ/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Hedwig a boy or girl name?

Hedwig is a girl's name, borne by Saint Hedwig of Silesia.

Is Hedwig making a comeback?

It stays rare in the United States, better known abroad and from fiction than from birth records.

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