Meaning & History
From the Old German name Hadewig, derived from the Old German elements hadu "battle, combat" and wig "war" [1] [2] [3] [4] . This was the name of a 13th-century German saint, the wife of the Polish duke Henry the Bearded. It was subsequently borne by a 14th-century Polish queen (usually known by her Polish name Jadwiga) who is now also regarded as a saint.
Related Names
VariantHadewych (Dutch)
Other Languages & CulturesHedvika (Czech) Hedvig (Danish) Hedvig, Helvi, Heta (Finnish) Edwige (French) Hadewig (Germanic) Hedvig, Hédi (Hungarian) Edvige, Edda (Italian) Jadvyga (Lithuanian) Hedvig, Hedda (Norwegian) Jadwiga, Iga, Jadzia, Jaga, Jagienka, Jagna, Jagoda, Jagusia (Polish) Hedviga (Slovak) Hedvika (Slovene) Hedvig, Hedda (Swedish)
Popularity
People think this name is
classic mature formal upper class natural wholesome strong refined strange serious
Name Days
Sources & References
- Förstemann, Ernst. Altdeutsches Namenbuch. Bonn, 1900, page 798.
- Köbler, Gerhard. Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, entry *hadu, available from https://www.koeblergerhard.de/ahdwbhin.html.
- Köbler, Gerhard. Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, entry wīg, available from https://www.koeblergerhard.de/ahdwbhin.html.
- Bosworth and Toller. An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary (1898), page 1219, available from http://lexicon.ff.cuni.cz/texts/oe_bosworthtoller_about.html.
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Entry updated May 26, 2026