Edith is a female given name, derived from the Old English words ead, meaning 'riches or blessed', and gyð, meaning 'war', and is in common usage in this form in English, German, many Scandinavian languages and Dutch. Its French form, also a common name in French, is Édith. Contractions and variations of this name include Ditte, Edie and Edythe.
It was a common first name prior to the 16th century, where it fell out of favour. It became popular again at the beginning of the 19th century, and in 2007 it was ranked at 730th most popular female name in the United States, according to the Social Security online database. It was more common as a name for children in the early 20th century than in the late 20th or early 21st centuries.
The name Edith has three name days; May 14 in Estonia, October 31 in Sweden and September 16 in France.
Famous quotes containing the word edith:
“The living blind and seeing Dead together lie
As if in love . . . There was no more hating then,
And no more love; Gone is the heart of Man.”
—Dame Edith Sitwell (1887–1964)
“I know that if I’d had to go and take an exam for acting, I wouldn’t have got anywhere. You don’t take exams for acting, you take your courage.”
—Dame Edith Evans (1888–1976)
“The ghost of the heart of manred Cain
And the more murderous brain
Of Man, still redder Nero that conceived the death
Of his mother Earth, and tore
Her womb, to know the place where he was conceived.”
—Dame Edith Sitwell (1887–1964)