Ida

German, "industrious one"

Pioneering physiologist Ida Henrietta Hyde died on August 22, 1945. A century ago, Ida was considered "sweet as apple cider," ranking in the Top 100 from 1880 until 1930. Today, the name fits perfectly into the current trend toward vowel-starting girl names, alongside similar choices like Ada and Ava. For parents searching for vintage names with strong meanings, Ida offers both historical charm and a connection to many other three-letter girl names that are currently trending.

While Ida hasn’t ranked in the US Top 1000 for more than 40 years, it’s a Top 100 name in many European countries, particular Scandinavia and German-speaking places such as Austria. In the US, Ida is pronounced with a long I at the beginning, whereas in Europe it’s usually pronounced with a long E — EE-da.