Hilda
HIL-dah
Hilda is a classic Germanic name most often understood as “battle” or “war” related, with a strong, old-world feel.
Meaning
The name Hilda is generally taken to come from a Germanic element meaning “battle” or “war.” In the provided 19th-century name books, it is also explained as a female name abbreviated from Everhilda, or as derived from a Lombardian word ild/hild meaning “noble.” The books don’t fully agree on the exact origin, but they connect it firmly with old Germanic naming traditions.
Origin
Old High GermanGermanicfeminine
Fun fact
One excerpt notes that Hilda may have arisen as a shortened form of Everhilda, showing how many older names were later simplified in everyday use.
Confidence: mixed. Sources: History of Christian Names, Praenomina; or, the etymology of the principal Christian names of Great Britain and Ireland.