Hedwig is a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

feminine given name, from Old High German ''Hadwig, Hadewig, Haduwig''. It is a Germanic name consisting of the two elements ''hadu'' "battle, combat" and ''wig'' "fight, duel". The name is on record since the 9th century, with Haduwig, a daughter of Louis the German. The name remained popular in German high nobility during the 10th and 11th centuries. Other medieval spellings include ''Hathuwic, Hathewiga, Hadewich, Hadewic, Hathwiga, Hadwich, Hatwig, Hadwig, Hediwig, Hedewiga, Hedewich, Hedewiih, Hatuuih, Hetvic, Haduwich, Hadawich, Hatuwig'', etc. Forms such as ''Hadiwih, Hadewi'' etc. suggest that the name is the result of a conflation of two separate names, one with the second element ''wig'' "fight", the other with the second element ''

wih Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...

'' "hallowed". A common German (and also Dutch) diminutive of Hedwig is ''Hedy''. The Dutch form of Hedwig is Hadewych (

Hadewijch Hadewijch, sometimes referred to as Hadewych or Hadewig (of Brabant or of Antwerp) was a 13th-century poet and mystic, probably living in the Duchy of Brabant. Most of her extant writings are in a Brabantian form of Middle Dutch. Her writings inc ...

). The German name was adopted into Swedish (and to a lesser extent into Danish and Norwegian) in about the 15th century and is still in use in Swedish in the spelling

Hedvig Hedvig is a given name. Notable people with the name include: People * Hedvig Catharina De la Gardie (1732–1800), Swedish noblewoman of French descent *Hedvig Catharina Lilje (1695–1745), Swedish noblewoman, salonist and informal amateur-polit ...

, with a diminutive Hedda.nordicnames.de
citing Kristoffer Kruken and Ola Stemshaug, ''Norsk Personnamnleksikon'' (1995); Eva Brylla, ''Förnamn i Sverige'' (2004). Finnish forms of name are

Heta Heta is a conventional name for the historical Greek alphabet letter Eta (Η) and several of its variants, when used in their original function of denoting the consonant . Overview The letter Η had been adopted by Greek from the Phoenician lett ...

and

Helvi Helvi is a Finnish given name for females. People *Helvi Juvonen (1919–1959), Finnish writer *Helvi Hämäläinen (1901–1998), Finnish author *Helvi Leiviskä (1902—1982), Finnish composer, writer, music educator and librarian *Helvi Mustonen ...

. The German name was adopted into Polish, as

Jadwiga Jadwiga (; diminutives: ''Jadzia'' , ''Iga'') is a Polish feminine given name. It originated from the old German feminine given name ''Hedwig'' (variants of which include ''Hedwiga''), which is compounded from ''hadu'', "battle", and ''wig'', "figh ...

''.'' A French form is

Edwige Edwige is a feminine French given name. Notable people with the name include: * Edwige Avice, French politician * Edwige Belmore, French model, singer, and actress * Edwidge Danticat, Haitian-American novelist * Edwige Djedjemel, Ivorian basketbal ...

(not to be confused with the unrelated Anglo-Saxon Eadwig, Edwig).

Fictional characters

Hedwig (Harry Potter) Magical creatures are an aspect of the fictional Wizarding World contained in the ''Harry Potter'' series and connected media, all created by British author J. K. Rowling. Throughout the seven main books of the series, Harry Potter (character), ...

, Harry Potter's faithful messenger and pet snowy owl in the ''Harry Potter'' novels by J. K. Rowling * Hedwig, a nine-year-old boy alter of Kevin Wendell Crumb in the film '' Split'' * The protagonist of ''Hedwig and the Angry Inch'' (musical), an off-Broadway production ** Same protagonist in the musical's film adaptation ''Hedwig and the Angry Inch'' (film) * Hedvig Ekdal, the daughter in Henrik Ibsen’s play '' The Wild Duck'' * Hedwig, the wife of Wilhelm Tell in Friedrich Schiller's 1804 play '' Wilhelm Tell''

People named Hedwig

Medieval

Hedwiga Hedwig (also known as Hadewig or Hathui; died 24 December 903), was List of Saxon consorts, Duchess of Saxony from about 880 until her death by her marriage with the Ottonian dynasty, Liudolfing duke Otto I, Duke of Saxony, Otto the Illustrious. Sh ...

(Hedwig of Babenberg; died c. 886), Duchess of Saxony, mother of

Henry the Fowler Henry the Fowler (german: Heinrich der Vogler or '; la, Henricus Auceps) (c. 876 – 2 July 936) was the Duke of Saxony from 912 and the King of East Francia from 919 until his death in 936. As the first non-Frankish king of East Francia, he ...

* Hedwige of Saxony (910–965), German noblewoman and mother of Hugh Capet, King of France *

Hedwig of Nordgau Hedwig of Nordgau (c. 922 – after 993) was the wife of Siegfried of Luxembourg, first count of Luxembourg and founder of the country. They were married c. 950. She was of Saxon origin but her parentage is not known for certain. Some sources cla ...

(ca. 922–ca. 993), wife of

Siegfried of Luxembourg Sigfried (or Siegfried) ( – 28 October 998) was Count in the Ardennes, and is known in European historiography as founder and first ruler of the Castle of Luxembourg in 963 AD, and ancestor and predecessor of the future counts and dukes of Lux ...

, first Count of Luxembourg. *

Hedwig of France Hedwig of France (c. 970 – after 1013), also called Avoise, Hadevide or Haltude, was Countess of Mons. She was the daughter of Hugh Capet, the first King of France, and his wife, Queen Adelaide of Aquitaine. Family In 996 Hedwig married Regin ...

(970–1013), also called Avoise, Hadevide or Haltude, Countess of Mons * Saint Hedwig of Silesia (1174–1243), Duchess of Silesia, canonized 1267; see also

Hedwig Codex The Hedwig Codex, also known as the Codex of Lubin ( pl, Kodeks lubiński),' ...

Hedwig of Habsburg Hedwig (or ''Heilwig''; – 1303), a member of the royal House of Habsburg, was Margravine of Brandenburg from 1279 until 1285/1286, by her marriage with the Ascanian margrave Otto VI of Brandenburg-Salzwedel. Hedwig was born in Rheinfelde ...

(d. ca. 1285/86), daughter of Rudolph I of Germany and his first wife, Gertrude of Hohenburg *

Hedwig of Holstein Hedwig of HolsteinPhilip Line, ''Kingship and state formation in Sweden, 1130-1290'', BRILL, 2007, 9004155783, p. 390. or Helvig( sv, Helvig, german: Helwig) (1260–1324) was Queen of Sweden as the consort of King Magnus III Barnlock. Her parent ...

(1260–1324), Swedish queen consort, spouse of King Magnus III of Sweden * Saint Hedwig of Poland (1373–1399), daughter of

Louis I of Hungary Louis I, also Louis the Great ( hu, Nagy Lajos; hr, Ludovik Veliki; sk, Ľudovít Veľký) or Louis the Hungarian ( pl, Ludwik Węgierski; 5 March 132610 September 1382), was King of Hungary and Croatia from 1342 and King of Poland from 1370 ...

and ruling queen of Poland

Renaissance and early modern periods

* Hedwig Jagiellon (1408-1431), Poland and Lithuanian princess, daughter of Jogaila, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, and Anna of Celje *

Hedwig, Abbess of Quedlinburg Hedwig of Saxony (31 October 1445 – 13 June 1511) was Princess-Abbess of Quedlinburg from 1458 until her death. Accession Born in Meissen, Hedwig was the youngest daughter of Frederick II, Elector of Saxony, and Margaret of Austria. In 1458, ...

(1445–1511), Princess-Abbess of Quedlinburg from 1458 until her death * Hedwig Jagiellon, Duchess of Bavaria (1457–1502), daughter of the King Casimir IV Jagiellon of Poland and Elisabeth Habsburg of Hungary, wife of

George, Duke of Bavaria George of Bavaria referred to as ''the Rich'' (15 August 1455 in Burghausen, Bavaria – 1 December 1503 in Ingolstadt), (German: ''Georg, Herzog von Bayern-Landshut'') was the last Duke of Bavaria-Landshut. He was a son of Louis IX the R ...

* Hedwig Jagiellon, Electress of Brandenburg (1513–1573), daughter of

Sigismund I the Old Sigismund I the Old ( pl, Zygmunt I Stary, lt, Žygimantas II Senasis; 1 January 1467 – 1 April 1548) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1506 until his death in 1548. Sigismund I was a member of the Jagiellonian dynasty, the ...

and his first wife Countess

Barbara Zápolya Barbara Zápolya ( hu, Szapolyai Borbála, 1495–1515) was Queen of Poland and Grand Duchess of Lithuania as the first wife of King Sigismund I the Old from 1512 to 1515. Marriage to Barbara represented an alliance between Sigismund and the ...

, wife of Joachim II Hector, Elector of Brandenburg * Princess

Hedwig of Denmark Princess Hedwig of Denmark (5 August 1581 – 26 November 1641) was the youngest daughter of King Frederick II of Denmark and Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow, and Electress of Saxony from 1602 to 1611 as the wife of Christian II. The marriage wa ...

(1581–1641) * Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp (1636–1715), Queen of Sweden from 1654 until 1660 *

Countess Palatine Hedwig Elisabeth of Neuburg Hedwig Elisabeth of Neuburg (Polish: ''Jadwiga Elżbieta Amalia Sobieska''; 18 July 1673 – 10 August 1722) was a Polish princess by marriage to James Louis Sobieski. She was the daughter of Philip William, Duke of Neuburg and Landgravine El ...

(1673–1722) German-Polish princess * Hedwig Elisabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp (1759–1818) Queen-consort of Sweden Norway

Modern era

* Hedwig Dohm (1831–1919), German feminist *

Hedwig von Rittberg Auguste Leopoldine Hedwig Countess of Rittberg (1839–1896) was a Prussian-German decorated nurse, hospital supervisor and founder of the Auxiliary Sisters Association. Life and work Hedwig von Rittberg was born 30 December 1839 in Liegnitz ...

(1839–1896), Prussian-German decorated nurse, hospital supervisor * Hedwig Bleibtreu (1868–1958), Austrian actress * Hedwig Dransfeld (1871–1925), German feminist *

Hedwig Kohn Hedwig Kohn (5 April 1887 – 26 November 1964) was a physicist who was one of only three women (along Lise Meitner and Hertha Sponer) to obtain habilitation (the qualification for university teaching) in physics in Germany before World War II. ...

(1887-1964), pioneering German physicist *

Hedwig Porschütz Hedwig Porschütz (; ; 10 June 1900 – 26 March 1977) was active in the German resistance to Nazism. She was recognised posthumously as Righteous Among the Nations for aiding and rescuing Jews during the Holocaust. Life Hedwig Völker was ...

(1900–1977), Righteous Among the Nations from Germany *

Hedwig Bienenfeld Hedwig "Hedy" Bienenfeld, also known after marriage as Hedy Wertheimer (17 October 1907 – 24 September 1976) was an Austrian Olympic swimmer. She won a bronze medal in the 200m breaststroke at the 1927 European Aquatics Championships. She compe ...

(1907–1976), Austrian-American Olympic swimmer * Hedy Lamarr (1914–2000), Austrian and American actress born Hedwig Kiesler * Hedwig von Trapp (1917-1972), Austrian singer, daughter of Georg von Trapp, fictionalised as Brigitta in '' The Sound of Music'' * Hedwig Goebbels (1938–1945), one of the Goebbels children *

Hedwig von Beverfoerde Baroness Hedwig von Elverfeldt gennant Beverfoerde zu Werries (german: Hedwig Freifrau von Elverfeldt genannt Beverförde zu Werries, née von Lüninck; born 1963) is a German conservative politician and Catholic activist. A former member of the ...

(b. 1963), German political activist

Fictional characters

People named Hedwig

Medieval

Renaissance and early modern periods

Modern era

References

See also