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At a Glance: Name: Blythe – Meaning: cheerful, merry, carefree — from Old English blīþe, ultimately Proto-Germanic *blīþiz ('gentle, kind') – Origin: Old English (surname) – Gender: Neutral – Pronunciation: BLYTHE
Blythe began as an Old English surname before it was used as a given name. It has a clear meaning: it comes from the Old English word blīþe (cheerful, merry, carefree), which traces back to a Proto-Germanic root meaning gentle or kind. Today it's used as a name for children of any gender, pronounced BLYTHE (/ˈblaɪð/).
Meaning & Origin of Blythe
Meaning: Cheerful, merry, carefree — from old english blīþe, ultimately proto-germanic *blīþiz ('gentle, kind').
Origin: Old English (surname).
Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.
How to Pronounce Blythe
Phonetic: BLYTHE IPA: /ˈblaɪð/
Popularity of Blythe
SSA records stretching from 1897 to 2024 show Blythe's popularity holding remarkably steady: it peaked at #1075 in 1974 with 109 babies, and in 2024 it sat at #1862 with 107 babies — almost the same small number of babies, five decades apart.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1897–2024.
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Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Blythe mean?
Cheerful, merry, carefree — from old english blīþe, ultimately proto-germanic *blīþiz (‘gentle, kind’). (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Blythe)
How do you pronounce Blythe?
Blythe is pronounced BLYTHE (IPA: /ˈblaɪð/).
Is Blythe a popular name right now?
Blythe peaked at #1075 in 1974 and is ranked #1862 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1897–2024.)
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