| Elpida | Ianthe | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | hope | Violet flower |
| Origin | greek | greek |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | el-PEE-dhah | eye-AN-thee |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| First appeared | 0 | 0 |
| Peak year | 1976 (7) | 1970 (9) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| Trend | Steady | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Elpida | Ianthe |
|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 0 | 7 |
| 2000s | 10 | 0 |
| 1980s | 5 | 5 |
| 1970s | 7 | 15 |
| 1950s | 0 | 5 |
| 1940s | 0 | 5 |
| 1920s | 0 | 5 |
| 1910s | 0 | 5 |
The Modern Greek form of the ancient name Elpis, from Greek 'elpis' ('hope'). The Slavic Nadezhda was coined as a translation of this Greek word.
From Greek 'ion' (violet) + 'anthos' (flower), giving 'violet flower'. Borne by a figure in Greek mythology (an Oceanid) and used by Lord Byron. A minority of sources offer alternative roots, but 'violet flower' is the standard etymology.
Elpida and Ianthe are given to a similar number of US babies today.
Elpida means hope (greek origin), while Ianthe means Violet flower (greek origin).
In US records, Elpida first appears in 0 and Ianthe in 0, so Elpida has the longer recorded history.