Imelda

Imelda meaning

Imelda is a Christian girl's name of Germanic origin (via Italian).

From Irmhild: eormen 'whole, immense' + hild 'battle'

Also used to mean: universal battle, great battle

Imelda is the Italian and Spanish form of the old Germanic name Irmhild, known in Old English as Eormenhild. Its two parts are well recorded: Bosworth and Toller give eormen as universal, immense or whole, and hild as war or battle, so name lists render it "universal battle" or "great battle". In Catholic use the name recalls Blessed Imelda Lambertini, a young girl of Bologna who died in 1333 on the day of her First Communion and is the patron of first communicants. In India it is used mainly in Goan and Mangalorean families.

Source: Bosworth and Toller, An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary (1898), s.v. eormen · entry eormen · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026

References: Bosworth-Toller, eormen · Bosworth-Toller, hild · Wikipedia, Imelda

Famous namesakes

• Blessed Imelda Lambertini, patron of first communicants

Related names

Also meaning strength

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