Ida derived from the Germanic element id meaning "work, labour". The Normans brought this name to England, though it eventually died out there in the Middle Ages. It was strongly revived in the 19th century, in part due to the heroine in Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem 'The Princess' (1847), which was later adapted into the play 'Princess Ida' (1884) by Gilbert and Sullivan.
Saintly namesake: Ida of Herzfeld was a 9th-century Saxon noblewoman known for her charity and piety. She is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church and is one of several saints named Ida. (September 4 · 9th century)
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