Heidi

Heidi is a German short form of Adelheid, the name family associated with “noble kind.” It became a complete given name in its own right. The connection with Adelheid also links it with Adelaide, despite the very different appearance of those two modern forms.

Johanna Spyri’s novel Heidi gives the name a strong literary association with a girl living in the Swiss Alps. Later film versions helped carry that story to other audiences. Families can choose Heidi directly without using Adelheid formally. Its compact two-syllable sound preserves an older name history while remaining distinct from the longer related forms.