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Imelda as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Imelda

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The baby name Imelda is a Female name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced /ɪˈmɛldə/ (ih-MEL-dah); Spanish/Italian: /iˈmelda/ (ee-MEL-dah).

Gender: Female
Syllables: 3.0
Pronunciation: /ɪˈmɛldə/ (ih-MEL-dah); Spanish/Italian: /iˈmelda/ (ee-MEL-dah)

What is the meaning of the name Imelda ?

The baby name Imelda is a Female name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced /ɪˈmɛldə/ (ih-MEL-dah); Spanish/Italian: /iˈmelda/ (ee-MEL-dah).

Imelda is in Origin.

Imelda is the Italian and Spanish form of a medieval Germanic name derived from Irmhild/Ermenhild, built from elements ermen/irmin (“whole, universal”) and hild (“battle”). The composite sense is “universal battle,” often softened to “strong in battle.” Through Latinized forms like Imelda and Imelde, the name traveled into Romance languages and later into Filipino usage via Spanish influence.

Usage gained ecclesiastical resonance from Blessed Imelda Lambertini (14th‑century Bolognese child mystic, patron of First Communicants), and the name entered wider pop culture through Imelda Marcos in the late 20th century. Variants and relatives include Imelde (Italian), Irmelda, Irmhild, Ermelinda, Irmgard/Ermengard, and Hilda; diminutives include Melda, Mel, Imme/Immi, and Ime. While rare in English-speaking countries, Imelda enjoys intermittent revival in Europe and the Philippines, appreciated for its vintage cadence and cross-cultural ease.

Imelda has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Imelda

Imelda Marcos Politician · Born 1929 · Philippines Imelda Marcos is best known as the former First Lady of the Philippines during Ferdinand Marcos’s rule from 1965 to 1986. A Filipino politician, she became one of the most powerful figures in the country after martial law was declared in 1972, and she is also the mother of current president Bongbong Marcos. Imelda Staunton Actor · Born 1956 · United Kingdom Imelda Staunton is a British actor best known for her role as Dolores Umbridge in the Harry Potter film series. She has also starred in the film Vera Drake and played Queen Elizabeth II in the television series The Crown.

Imelda – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Girls 1998 #1 — 560
SV 0 #11 1 283
SV Girls 0 #18 1 458
ID 0 #21 19 2,238
HT Girls 0 #23 1 950
NA 0 #27 7 2,537
BN 0 #31 2 2,297
BI Girls 0 #33 1 726
MV Girls 0 #35 1 2,021
ID Girls 0 #52 48 3,319
CM 0 #56 1 2,592
AL 0 #71 6 2,372
JP 0 #77 1 4,057
PH 0 #81 16 5,607
PH Girls 0 #85 441 13,098
BN Girls 0 #91 16 5,459
QA 0 #100 7 7,011
NA Girls 0 #110 121 7,146
KW 0 #118 4 5,216
CY Girls 0 #119 7 3,755
EC 0 #121 1 2,502
OM 0 #121 1 6,215
MU 0 #137 1 3,613
PA 0 #137 2 3,797
JO 0 #140 1 2,158
MT Girls 0 #145 9 3,773
BW Girls 0 #150 2 4,216
MX Girls 0 #163 5,751 17,781
AL Girls 0 #174 50 4,141
SI Girls 0 #174 4 2,769
MO Girls 0 #177 75 7,056
Sweden Girls 2014 #179 3 1,576
AE 0 #185 3 10,220
LU Girls 0 #190 1 4,850
DK 0 #206 1 5,198
QA Girls 0 #210 108 15,378
HU Girls 0 #222 4 3,308
PS 0 #222 5 5,692
EC Girls 0 #223 17 3,650
GR Girls 0 #230 13 6,293
JP Girls 0 #233 13 6,592
BD 0 #240 2 5,992
EC Boys 0 #246 1 3,322
SG 0 #248 22 11,010
NA Boys 0 #250 4 6,830
PT 0 #250 1 4,161
TW Girls 0 #255 22 8,139
TW Boys 0 #256 1 7,111
NG 0 #267 6 5,926
SA 0 #268 28 10,560
GT Girls 0 #278 259 7,500
IL 0 #278 5 6,291
JM Girls 0 #278 1 7,507
GT 0 #281 34 5,948
KW Girls 0 #281 244 19,177
Canada Girls 2021 #286 5 2,910
AE Girls 0 #287 280 20,968
HR Girls 0 #289 6 3,687
OM Girls 0 #294 103 15,987
MY 0 #299 32 12,352
AL Boys 0 #303 1 5,122
JP Boys 0 #303 1 7,909
JO Girls 0 #313 13 7,570
MX 0 #323 91 8,339
PE 0 #324 6 6,350
DK Girls 0 #327 3 7,429
GH Girls 0 #331 7 6,973
HK 0 #337 12 8,483
SG Girls 0 #346 252 18,916
CZ Girls 0 #350 2 5,378
MU Girls 0 #356 7 8,539
SD Girls 0 #357 2 7,678
BR 0 #359 2 5,969
CN Girls 0 #359 1 8,829
GH Boys 0 #361 1 8,138
PL Girls 0 #362 3 5,096
NL 0 #381 11 2,481
PA Girls 0 #395 87 9,861
HK Girls 0 #396 231 16,104
Austria Girls 0 #399 22 1,885
France Girls 2021 #402 4 3,185
PH Boys 0 #402 7 11,440
BO 0 #406 3 6,868
SA Girls 0 #423 592 25,931
ZA 0 #432 16 14,421
CR Girls 0 #435 98 11,342
PT Girls 0 #437 15 7,952
Spain 0 #438 15 2,326
BH 0 #447 107 17,937
CO 0 #458 23 7,768
CM Girls 0 #461 80 11,671
PS Girls 0 #465 59 10,981
CO Girls 0 #472 997 16,140
AR Boys 0 #481 3 7,628
UY Girls 0 #495 16 6,731
GT Boys 0 #497 3 7,625
PA Boys 0 #505 1 9,305
CR Boys 0 #510 1 10,188
RU Girls 0 #515 9 11,913
PE Girls 0 #543 503 14,861
IR Girls 0 #545 1 8,334
LY 0 #554 6 12,703
HK Boys 0 #556 2 12,905
AR Girls 0 #558 42 8,289
NG Girls 0 #569 227 15,093
BO Girls 0 #573 39 9,488
CM Boys 0 #575 1 12,054
IL Girls 0 #578 40 11,648
BO Boys 0 #622 1 9,244
LB 0 #637 22 13,263
MY Girls 0 #701 302 24,821
IT 0 #702 13 4,183
Finland Girls 2026 #728 11 3,895
SG Boys 0 #736 4 17,960
QA Boys 0 #742 2 18,093
Spain Girls 0 #795 190 5,561
Germany Girls 0 #798 41 4,949
KW Boys 0 #804 3 18,755
CL Girls 0 #826 26 14,098
NL Girls 0 #829 127 5,933
IT Girls 0 #854 700 9,415
United States Girls 2024 #875 42 8,487
ZA Girls 0 #892 250 25,928
MX Boys 0 #909 74 16,355
OM Boys 0 #917 2 17,948
PE Boys 0 #922 5 14,506
BR Girls 0 #926 16 12,708
EG Girls 0 #947 13 14,742
CO Boys 0 #975 7 15,656
NG Boys 0 #1,000 2 16,906
AE Boys 0 #1,136 8 22,615
MY Boys 0 #1,181 2 25,439
MA 0 #1,197 3 20,986
TR 0 #1,199 13 19,440
DZ 0 #1,233 2 20,130
ZA Boys 0 #1,268 5 25,619
SA Boys 0 #1,598 17 28,008

Imelda is popular in 75 countries — most recent births per country:

France
Ireland
United States
AE
AL

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Imelda

Imelda is predominantly a girl's name.
Imelda is a 3 syllable name, pronounced /ɪˈmɛldə/ (ih-MEL-dah); Spanish/Italian: /iˈmelda/ (ee-MEL-dah).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Irmhild, Irmelda, Imelde, Irma, Melda and Mela.
Yes, very popular — Imelda ranked #1 in Ireland in 1998, and appears in official birth registries across 6 countries.
Imelda ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 1998).
Imelda's popularity is rising significantly. It moved from #415 in 2011 to #402 in 2021 in France.
Yes — 2 notable people named Imelda are in our database, including Imelda Marcos (Politician), Imelda Staunton (Actor).