Edith

Once upon a time, the elements ead and gyo untied to create a female name meaning "rich in war." That meaning made the name a perfect fit for medieval royalty; saints and queens, including St. Eadgyo of Wilton and Eadgyo Swan-Neck, had riches in a time when many people did not. 

Right before the twelfth century, the Norman Conquest occurred. William the Conqueror defeated King Harold II, whose sister Eadgyo became queen and supported the cult of Edward the Confessor. Not only did Queen Eadgyo survive the Norman Conquest, but her name also continued in usage. As of the twelfth century, Eadgyo became Edith in Modern English. 

Edith was one of the few Anglo-Saxon names to survive the Norman Conquest and, thus, the only one to be popular throughout the Middle Ages. She continued to be popular until the seventeenth century, after which she dropped out of the English top 50. The Middle Ages were long over, so was the name Edith. 

Over a century later, in 1837, Queen Victoria took the throne. With the Victorian Era began a new fascination for all things medieval, including names like Edith. She appeared in the English top 100 from 1840 through the 1930s, ranking in the top 10 from the 1880s through the 1910s. Several British namesakes from the time include poet Edith Sitwell (1887-1964), nurse Edith Cavell (1865-1915), author Edith (E.) Nesbitt (1858-1924), and doctor Edith Pechey (1845-1908). 

Before her English revival, Edith migrated to the newly independent United States. As of 1800, Edith only saw ten occurrences. By 1880, though, Edith was in the top 50. The United States housed its own famous namesakes, such as former First Ladies Edith Roosevelt (1861-1948) and Edith Wilson (1872-1961); author Edith Wharton (1862-1937), and social worker Edith Abbott (1876-1957). 

As Edith declined in England for the second time, she slipped in use in the United States. During the 1940s, Edith was no longer a top 100 hit in either nation. However, while she completely fell out of use in England, Edith remained in the American top 1000 every year since 1880. Perhaps she never ranked below the 800s. However, this does not make Edith timeless. 

In the early 1970s, Edith Bunker, the frumpy wife of Archie in the TV sitcom All in the Family, signaled that her name was out of date. While Edith bounced between the 500s and 600s during the 1980s and 1990s, she declined sharply during the 2000s towards her all-time low in the 800s. During the time, parents who grew up watching All in the Family could only picture the name on old ladies.  

It all changed during the last decade, though. The finale for All in the Family occurred in 1979, meaning that parents born in the 1980s are less likely to remember Edith Bunker. Plus, more positive pop culture associations for the name arose; the PBS historical TV series Downton Abbey and the Illumination movie Despicable ME, both of which featured Ediths, premiered in 2010. 

Edith returned to the English top 100 between 2017 and 2022. In the United States, Edith jumped from the 800s to the top 500 between 2010 and 2020 and is holding stable between the upper 400s and lower 500s. Yet, Edith is more popular in Sweden than anywhere in the English world, ranking in their top 50.

Today, Edith qualifies, not as a rediscovered classic like Lucy and Alice, but as a mere vintage charmer beginning to feel acceptable again. Some people find her cute with her long "ee" sound and dainty "-ith" ending; short form "Edie" sounds even cuter. However, she's also serious, associating herself with several historical women. Finally, though she may not be classic, Edith claims a saintly and regal vibe. 

POPULARITY LEVEL: #500-750

FAMOUS REAL-LIFE NAMESAKES:

• English St. Edith of Wilton (961-984)
• English Queen Edith Swan-Neck (1025-1086)
• English doctor Edith Pechey (1845-1908)
• English author Edith (E.) Nesbitt (1858-1924)
• Former First Lady Edith Roosevelt (1861-1948)
• American author Edith Wharton (1862-1937)
• English nurse Edith Cavell (1865-1915)
• Former First Lady Edith Wilson (1872-1961)
• American social worker Edith Abbott (1876-1957)
• English poet Edith Sitwell (1887-1964)
• American costume designer Edith Head (1897-1981)
• French singer Édith Piaf (1915-1963)

FAMOUS FICTIONAL NAMESAKES:

• Lady Edith Crawley in Downton Abbey
• Middle orphaned sister Edith Gru in Despicable ME movies
• Protagonist Edith Cushing in 2015 film Crimson Peak

NICKNAMES: Edie

VARIANTS: Edita, Eadith, Editha, Edithe, Edythe

SISTERS: Agnes, Emmeline, Florence, Ida, Leona, Mabel, Olive, Pearl, Vera, Winifred 

BROTHERS: Alfred, Cecil, Ernest, Gilbert, Hugh, Lewis, Otto, Ralph, Theodore, Winston

ALTERNATIVES: Ardith, Dorothea, Elspeth, Enid, Eugenie, Freda, Judith, Maude, Prudence, Theda

NAME LISTS: Formal Girls' Names, Names Inspired by Alice, Names Inspired by Hazel, Vintage Girls' Names, 50 Sibling Names for Otto, 50 Sibling Names for Pearl

FURTHER RESOURCES:

"Edith." Names, Behind the Name, 7 Dec. 2022, https://www.behindthename.com/name/edith. 

"Edith." Oh Baby! Names, 2014, https://ohbabynames.com/all-baby-names/edith/. 

Nickerson, Eleanor. "Name of the Week: Edith." Names of the Week, British Baby Names, 29 Apr. 2017, https://www.britishbabynames.com/blog/2017/04/name-of-the-week-edith.html. 

Rosenkrantz, Linda. "Edith." Baby Girl Names, Nameberry, 15 Aug. 2024, https://nameberry.com/b/girl-baby-name-edith. 

Sandel, Abby. "Edith: Baby Name of the Day." Master List: Girl Names, Appellation Mountain, 18 Nov. 2013, https://appellationmountain.net/name-of-the-day-edith/. 

What do you think about Edith?