Edie

Edie is a familiar form of Edith, an Old English name built from elements referring to wealth or prosperity and battle. The older compound belongs to an early English naming tradition in which two meaningful elements were joined. Edie preserves that ancestry in a much shorter form, whether it is used as a nickname or a complete first name.

Edie Sedgwick and actress Edie Falco give the name recognizable cultural associations. The documentary Grey Gardens also made Big Edie and Little Edie Beale familiar to many viewers. These examples show the short form moving beyond private family conversation into public use. Its usual long opening vowel distinguishes it from Eddie, although the two spellings can look similar at first glance. The connection to Edith remains its clearest historical thread.