Old Norse name meaning "great-grandmother"; also the title of the medieval Icelandic literary collections.
Edda is a name inextricably bound to one of the greatest literary monuments of the medieval world. The Eddas are the two foundational collections of Old Norse poetry and mythology — the Poetic Edda, a gathering of anonymous verse about gods and heroes, and the Prose Edda, compiled by the Icelandic scholar Snorri Sturluson around 1220 AD. Together they are the primary source for Norse mythology, preserving the stories of Odin, Thor, Loki, and the twilight of the gods known as Ragnarök.
The name's own etymology is debated: it may derive from Old Norse "óðr" (poetry, inspiration, frenzy — the same root as Odin's name) or from a different Old Norse word meaning "great-grandmother." In Scandinavian countries, Edda has been used as a given name since at least the 19th century, when Romantic nationalism sparked renewed interest in Norse heritage. It carries with it an aura of antiquity and poetic fire — a name that belongs to skálds, rune-carvers, and saga heroines.
The Italian actress and style icon Edda Ciano, daughter of Benito Mussolini, also made the name visible in 20th-century European culture. Edda has found admirers in the contemporary naming landscape precisely because it feels ancient and yet sounds strikingly modern — short, bold, double-d percussion, easy to pronounce across many languages. For parents who love Norse mythology or Scandinavian heritage, it is a name of uncommon power and beauty.