Declining since 2021, #832 for girls today.
Popularity of Zelda since 1880
Babies named Zelda per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 62 |
| 1890s | 254 |
| 1900s | 595 |
| 1910s | 1,854 |
| 1920s | 2,376 |
| 1930s | 1,650 |
| 1940s | 1,074 |
| 1950s | 1,160 |
| 1960s | 1,265 |
| 1970s | 305 |
| 1980s | 154 |
| 1990s | 144 |
| 2000s | 391 |
| 2010s | 2,889 |
| 2020s | 2,561 |
Meaning & origin
Zelda is a name with layered origins and a distinctive sound that has surfaced repeatedly in American culture. It first appeared in U.S. birth records in 1880, with early usage drawing on its Yiddish and German roots. The name experienced a resurgence in the 1970s and 1980s, possibly influenced by the popular Nintendo video game series The Legend of Zelda, which debuted in 1986. Its most recent peak came in 2020, when it ranked highest in states like Oklahoma, Arizona, and Oregon. Since 2021, its popularity has been on a slight decline, with a 2024 rank of 832 and an incidence of about 1 in 4,900 births. Despite the dip, Zelda retains a spirited, literary feel thanks to figures like Zelda Fitzgerald, and it continues to appeal to parents seeking a name that is both historic and unconventional.
Zelda originated as a short form of Griselda, a name of Germanic origin meaning 'gray battle' from grīs 'gray' and hild 'battle'. In Yiddish, it developed as a feminine form of Selig, meaning 'blessed, happy'. The name had sporadic use in English-speaking countries before the 20th century, gaining wider attention through novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald's wife Zelda Fitzgerald, a prominent figure of the Jazz Age.
Where Zelda is most popular
Births per 100,000 girls by state. Press play or drag the slider to watch it move across the decades. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
“Zelda” around the world
Where Zelda lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
20
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Zelly, Zel
Sibling names for Zelda
Names that share Zelda's style, for a brother or sister.
Sisters: Ada, Cora, Lena, Mira, Stella, Mitzi, Ozella, Velda, Wava, Basya, Fraida, Velna, Conda, Lether, Mindel, Oveda, Zenda, Hyla, Lendora, Sanova, Vineta, Zakara, Zelaya, Zeldy, Zelta, Zema, Zennie, Zuzu
Brothers: Felix, Leo, Otis, Otto, Theo, Hendrix, Atreyu, Luster, Zed, Django, Ganon, Zadrian, Zannie, Zimri, Calcifer, Leiby, Xachary, Zakar, Zale, Zee, Zong
