Given name & surname · also Germanic
Hildegard
Hildegard is a feminine given name from German, ultimately from Proto-West Germanic. It is used in English, German, and Swedish.
Original GermanHildegarde
Meaning & origin
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Germanic.
How it developed
Its Germanic formation brings together hild (“battle”) and gard (“enclosure”).
The story
The name’s historical associations include the second wife of Charlemagne and the mystical writer Hildegard of Bingen.
Hildegard through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,945
- 0 boys · 1,945 girls
- Most popular year
- 1915
- 81 babies
- 2025
- 14
- #7,627 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +79%
- Rising fast
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 14 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 7,627 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 79.2% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 81 in 1915. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 2,460 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Hildegard’s family of names
Hildegard has a related form in Hilda. Hildegard has a related form in Hilde. Hildegard has a related form in Hulda.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Hildegard has relatives in 6 languages. Lines run from its Proto-Germanic roots to each of them.
10 related names in 6 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 34
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Hildegardevariant · German, English
- Hilgarthvariant · German
- Hilgartvariant · German
- Hilgardtvariant · German
- Hilgardvariant · German
- Hildegardisvariant · German
- Hildegartvariant · German
- Hildegardavariant · German, Polish
Show 26 moreShow fewer
- Hildavariant
- Hildevariant
- Hildivariant
- Hyldavariant
- Hildiavariant
- Hildyvariant
- Hildievariant
- Hildredvariant
- Huldavariant
- Hildagardvariant
- Hildagardevariant
- Hyldeavariant
- Holdavariant
- Huldıgunnvariant
- Hildegunnvariant
- Hildvariant
- Hyldagardevariant
- Hyldagardvariant
- Hyldegardevariant
- Hyldegardvariant
- Hyldyvariant
- Hyldevariant
- Hyldivariant
- Hildeavariant
- Hildeyvariant
- Hildeevariant
Across languages 3
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Hildegard
- Hildegard of BingenGerman Benedictine abbess, polymath, mystic and Doctor of Church (1098–1179)
- Hildegard KnefGerman actress, singer and writer (1925-2002)
- HildegardQueen of the Franks and Blessed (c. 771 – 783)758–783
- Hildegard FalckGerman middle distance runnerborn 1949
- Hilde Schraderswimmer (1910–1966)
- Hildegard BehrensGerman operatic soprano (1937-2009)
- Hildegard PeplauAmerican nurse and nursing theorist (1909–1999)
- Hildegard BurjanAustrian politician and blessed (1883-1933)
- Hildegard Hamm-BrücherGerman politician (1921-2016)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
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