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Short form of obsolete names beginning with Germanic īd "work", used for both sexes in medieval England. It was revived in the 19th century, partly mistaken for a Greek name, for the Mount Ida of classical mythology.
1809, Sydney Owenson, Woman, or, Ida of Athens, page 127:
"Ida!!!" "It is not a common, but an ancient name in Greece", said the diako,"and was borne by the wife of Lycastus and the mother of the Cretan Minos." Osmyn blushed to have been over-heard, and suffered his heart alone to repeat again the sweet and simple name of "Ida".
1938, Graham Greene, Brighton Rock, Compact Books, published 1993, →ISBN, page 16:
That's what they called me," she said. "My real name's Ida." The old and vulgarised Grecian name recovered a little dignity
2002, Joyce Carol Oates, I'l Take You There, Fourth Estate, published 2003, →ISBN, page 18:
"Ida" - the name was magical to me. In whispers, in the dark. Beneath bedcovers. Forehead pressed to a windowpane coated with frost. "Ida". What a strange, beautiful name: I could not say it often enough: it was easy to confuse "Ida" with "I" - - -
Usage notes
Fairly common given name in the 19th century, but rare in the English-speaking world today.
According to the 2010 United States Census, Ida is the 41038th most common surname in the United States, belonging to 531 individuals. Ida is most common among White (51.98%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (40.3%) individuals.
"Mine stakkels blomster er ganske døde!" sagte den lille Ida.
"My poor flowers, you are wither'd!" said little Ida.
Usage notes
Popular in the 19th century and recently back in fashion.
H.C. Andersen's Little Ida (see the quotation) was actually named Adelaide Brun.
References
Danskernes Navne, based on CPR data: 22 062 females with the given name Ida have been registered in Denmark between about 1890 (=the population alive in 1967) and January 2005, with the frequency peak in the 2000s. Accessed on 19 June 2011.
Name of early female saints, shortened from compound given names beginning with Germanic element Ida-, Idu-. The meaning is debated, possibly cognate with the Old Norse ið(“work”), or related to the goddess Iðunn. Since its revival in the 19th century also used as a diminutive of Adelaide.
Popular in the 19th century and once again today. The most common name of girls born in Norway in the 1990s.
References
Kristoffer Kruken - Ola Stemshaug: Norsk personnamnleksikon, Det Norske Samlaget, Oslo 1995, →ISBN
Statistisk sentralbyrå, Namnestatistikk: 17 273 females with the given name Ida living in Norway on January 1st 2011, with the frequency peak around 1990. Accessed on 19 May, 2011.
“Ida”, in Slovníkový portál Jazykovedného ústavu Ľ. Štúra SAV [Dictionary portal of the Ľ. Štúr Institute of Linguistics, Slovak Academy of Science] (in Slovak), https://slovnik.juls.savba.sk, 2003–2024
Swedish
Etymology
From GermanIda. First recorded as a given name in Sweden in 1351, but not in general use before the 19th century.
Roland Otterbjörk: Svenska förnamn, Almqvist & Wiksell 1996, →ISBN
Statistiska centralbyrån and Sture Allén, Staffan Wåhlin, Förnamnsboken, Norstedts 1995, →ISBN: 48 005 females with the given name Ida living in Sweden on December 31st, 2010, with frequency peaks in the 19th century and in the 2000s. Accessed on 19 June 2011.