Meaning: In Spanish, this name is spelled with an accent -- Aída.

Languages: This girl's name is used in Arabic, English, Italian and Spanish.

Popularity: The name Aida ranked 559th in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.

Narrative: Some authorities point to Latin sources meaning either ''distinguished'' or ''helpful.'' However, Camille du Locle and Antonio Ghislanzoni (the librettists for Guiseppi Verdi's 1871 opera that made this name famous) found it in a story written by Egyptologist Mariette Bey.

In the opera, Aida is an Ethiopian princess held captive at the court of an Egyptian pharoah. Her story portrays a passionate conflict between personal love and loyalty to country.