Hedvig
A feminine given name of Scandinavian origin meaning "warrior for battle".
Name Census estimates that about 1 living Americans carry the first name Hedvig. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Hedvig today is around 80 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Hedvig births was 1896 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Hedvig. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Hedvig is about 80 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Hedvigs were born before 1956.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Hedvig. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
1
~ 1 in 342,754,338 Americans
Peak year
1896
8 babies that year
Average age
80
years old
1917 SSA rank
#3,883
Tracked since 1888
Popularity
Hedvig: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Hedvig from the 1880s through to the 1910s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1890s, with 30 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1890s peak, Hedvig remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Hedvig by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Hedvig during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Hedvig
The name Hedvig is a Scandinavian form of the Germanic nameHadwig, derived from the Old High German elements "hadu" meaning battle and "wig" meaning fight or combat. It is related to the Old Norse name Hadvidr, which translates to "battle-bright" or "battle-ready". The name gained popularity in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark during the Middle Ages.
Hedvig was a relatively common name among Scandinavian royalty and nobility during the medieval period. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name was Princess Hedvig of Denmark, born around 1103, who was the daughter of King Niels I of Denmark. She later became the Queen of Sweden through her marriage to King Sverker I.
In the 13th century, Saint Hedwig (Jadwiga) of Silesia, born in 1174, was a Polish duchess renowned for her piety and charitable works. She founded several monasteries and is venerated as the patron saint of Silesia and Poland. Her feast day is celebrated on October 16th in the Catholic Church.
Another notable bearer of the name was Queen Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp (1636-1715), who became the Queen of Sweden through her marriage to King Charles X Gustav. She played a significant role in the cultural life of Sweden during her reign and was known for her patronage of the arts.
In the 19th century, the Swedish author and feminist pioneer Hedvig Charlotta Nordenflycht (1718-1763) was a prominent figure in the literary salons of Stockholm. She was one of the first women in Sweden to be recognized as a professional writer and is remembered for her poetry and advocacy for women's rights.
The name Hedvig also gained international recognition through Queen Hedvig of Sweden (1859-1952), who was the wife of King Gustaf V. She was deeply involved in various charitable organizations and played an active role in promoting women's rights and social welfare initiatives during her lifetime.
These examples highlight the historical significance and usage of the name Hedvig, particularly in Scandinavia and among the nobility and literary circles. Despite its ancient Germanic roots, the name has endured through the centuries and continues to be used in various parts of the world.
People
Hedvig + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Hedvig as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with H
Other first names starting with H with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Hedvig: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Hedvig?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Hedvig going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 342,754,338 US residents.
Is Hedvig a common name?
We classify Hedvig as "Very Rare". It ranks above 3.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 60 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Hedvig most popular?
The single biggest year for Hedvig was 1896, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Hedvig is about 80 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Hedvig in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Hedvig a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Hedvig in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Hedvig still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Hedvig in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Hedvig can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people share the name Hedvig?
Find out how many people share the name Hedvig on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.