Heidi
/ˈhaɪdi/noun
A feminine given name, best known from the title character of Johanna Spyri’s 1881 Swiss novel.
Did you know?Heidi began as the nickname of Adelheid in Johanna Spyri’s 1881 novel, then became an independent given name worldwide.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*aþalą + *haiduz
“Noble lineage or status + kind, sort, or nature”
Old High German
OHG
Adalheit
“A compound name meaning noble kind or noble nature”
Medieval Latin
Latin
Adalheidis
“The Latinized form of the Germanic personal name”
Middle High German
MHG
Adelheit
“A common medieval form of the name”
19th Century
Swiss German
Heidi
“A diminutive form of Adelheid”
1881
German
Heidi
“The given name of the child protagonist in Johanna Spyri’s novel Heidi”
Modern English
English
Heidi
“An established feminine given name”