Heide
A feminine name of Old High German origin meaning "dweller on the heath".
Name Census estimates that about 1,801 living Americans carry the first name Heide. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Heide today is around 53 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Heide births was 1968 (84 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Heide. 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.
People living today
1.8K
~ 1 in 190,313 Americans
Peak year
1968
84 babies that year
Average age
53
years old
2021 SSA rank
#16,132
Tracked since 1948
Popularity
Heide: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Heide from the 1940s through to the 2020s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 721 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Heide 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 Heide during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Heides live
The SSA's state-level files cover 11 states and territories. New York, California, Illinois recorded the most babies named Heide, while Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Washington recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 62 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Heide
The given name Heide has its origins in the German language and culture. It is a feminine name derived from the Old German word "heida," which means "heathland" or "heath." The name is closely associated with the concept of untamed natural landscapes, particularly heathlands or moors, which were once widespread across parts of northern Europe.
In its earliest forms, the name Heide was likely used to describe individuals who lived in or near these heathland areas. As a personal name, it gained popularity in German-speaking regions during the Middle Ages and Renaissance periods, when nature-inspired names were commonly bestowed upon children.
Historically, the name Heide has appeared in various literary works and records from the German-speaking world. One notable example is the medieval German epic poem "Heidelohe," which features a character named Heide. This work, dating back to the 13th century, provides an early written reference to the name's usage.
Among the earliest recorded individuals bearing the name Heide is Heide von Venningen, a German noblewoman who lived in the 13th century. She was a prominent figure in the court of the Holy Roman Empire and is mentioned in various historical documents from that era.
Another historical figure with the name Heide is Heide Göttner, a German painter and printmaker born in 1878. She was known for her landscape paintings and etchings, which often depicted the rugged beauty of the German countryside.
In the realm of literature, Heide Ziegler (1909-1989) was a German author and poet who wrote several acclaimed works, including the novel "Die Weiden rauschen" (The Willows Rustle).
Moving into the realm of science, Heide Göttner-Abendroth (1941-2012) was a German scholar and researcher who made significant contributions to the study of matriarchal societies and feminist spirituality.
Finally, Heide Ecker-Rosendahl (born 1947) is a German actress and filmmaker who has appeared in numerous films and television productions throughout her career, showcasing the enduring presence of the name Heide in German culture.
These individuals, spanning various fields and time periods, exemplify the rich history and cultural significance of the name Heide, which remains a testament to the connection between language, nature, and personal identity.
People
Heide + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Heide 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
Heide: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Heide?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,801 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Heide 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 190,313 US residents.
Is Heide a common name?
We classify Heide as "Rare". It ranks above 93.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,103 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Heide most popular?
The single biggest year for Heide was 1968, when 84 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Heide is about 53 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Heide a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Heide 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.
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.