What Does the Name Eider Mean?
In the Basque Country, Eider comes from the Basque word eder, meaning 'beautiful,' and is a well-established girls' name. In English, 'eider' instead refers to a sea duck known for its soft down feathers, from the Old Norse eiðr — a completely separate, unrelated meaning that happens to share the same spelling.
Origin & Cultural Reach
As a Basque name, Eider belongs to a tradition that favors short, luminous words drawn directly from the Basque language, given to girls in the Basque Country of Spain and France. In the English-speaking US, the name instead tends to arrive as a nature or word name tied to the eider duck.
The Popularity Story
In the US, SSA records show Eider used almost entirely as a boys' name: 217 boys were named Eider in 2024, up from 153 the year before — the opposite gender pattern from its Basque feminine use.
Personality & Associations
Eider carries an unusual double identity — softness and beauty on the Basque side, maritime wildness on the English side — making it a name that reads differently depending on which tradition a family draws from.
Famous People Named Eider
Eider Mendoza is a Basque economist and politician who became the first woman to serve as president of the Gipuzkoa Provincial Council in Spain. Eider Rodríguez is a widely respected Basque novelist, journalist, and screenwriter.
Nicknames & Variations
Eider does not have widely documented English nicknames or alternate spellings — it is used as given in both of its traditions.