Girl nameCurrently #748 in the USSteady
Zelda
ZEL-duh//ˈzɛldə//
2 syllablesPeak year: 20205 lettersStarts with Z
Meaning & origin
Gray battle maiden (short form of Griselda)
Zelda began as a short form of Griselda, a Germanic name combining elements for 'gray' and 'battle', and was carried by writer Zelda Fitzgerald, giving it a Jazz Age glamour. It has enjoyed renewed interest recently as a distinctive vintage choice.
Zelda's popularity over time
| Year | Births named Zelda |
|---|---|
| 1880 | 6 |
| 1882 | 6 |
| 1884 | 7 |
| 1885 | 6 |
| 1886 | 8 |
| 1887 | 5 |
| 1888 | 11 |
| 1889 | 13 |
| 1890 | 14 |
| 1891 | 16 |
| 1892 | 15 |
| 1893 | 25 |
| 1894 | 25 |
| 1895 | 28 |
| 1896 | 31 |
| 1897 | 27 |
| 1898 | 38 |
| 1899 | 35 |
| 1900 | 46 |
| 1901 | 43 |
| 1902 | 38 |
| 1903 | 45 |
| 1904 | 68 |
| 1905 | 76 |
| 1906 | 64 |
| 1907 | 67 |
| 1908 | 86 |
| 1909 | 62 |
| 1910 | 86 |
| 1911 | 117 |
| 1912 | 134 |
| 1913 | 155 |
| 1914 | 159 |
| 1915 | 230 |
| 1916 | 258 |
| 1917 | 240 |
| 1918 | 250 |
| 1919 | 225 |
| 1920 | 208 |
| 1921 | 280 |
| 1922 | 251 |
| 1923 | 227 |
| 1924 | 250 |
| 1925 | 251 |
| 1926 | 231 |
| 1927 | 236 |
| 1928 | 233 |
| 1929 | 209 |
| 1930 | 225 |
| 1931 | 175 |
| 1932 | 202 |
| 1933 | 160 |
| 1934 | 189 |
| 1935 | 161 |
| 1936 | 124 |
| 1937 | 147 |
| 1938 | 145 |
| 1939 | 127 |
| 1940 | 128 |
| 1941 | 106 |
| 1942 | 106 |
| 1943 | 118 |
| 1944 | 111 |
| 1945 | 88 |
| 1946 | 122 |
| 1947 | 97 |
| 1948 | 108 |
| 1949 | 90 |
| 1950 | 101 |
| 1951 | 88 |
| 1952 | 96 |
| 1953 | 107 |
| 1954 | 107 |
| 1955 | 120 |
| 1956 | 141 |
| 1957 | 127 |
| 1958 | 131 |
| 1959 | 142 |
| 1960 | 135 |
| 1961 | 169 |
| 1962 | 178 |
| 1963 | 171 |
| 1964 | 133 |
| 1965 | 109 |
| 1966 | 117 |
| 1967 | 105 |
| 1968 | 95 |
| 1969 | 53 |
| 1970 | 67 |
| 1971 | 40 |
| 1972 | 39 |
| 1973 | 30 |
| 1974 | 29 |
| 1975 | 27 |
| 1976 | 17 |
| 1977 | 26 |
| 1978 | 19 |
| 1979 | 12 |
| 1980 | 19 |
| 1981 | 16 |
| 1982 | 12 |
| 1983 | 18 |
| 1984 | 12 |
| 1985 | 13 |
| 1986 | 16 |
| 1987 | 12 |
| 1988 | 17 |
| 1989 | 19 |
| 1990 | 18 |
| 1991 | 22 |
| 1992 | 14 |
| 1993 | 14 |
| 1994 | 16 |
| 1995 | 5 |
| 1996 | 14 |
| 1997 | 7 |
| 1998 | 15 |
| 1999 | 19 |
| 2000 | 31 |
| 2001 | 22 |
| 2002 | 24 |
| 2003 | 29 |
| 2004 | 30 |
| 2005 | 40 |
| 2006 | 49 |
| 2007 | 53 |
| 2008 | 54 |
| 2009 | 59 |
| 2010 | 69 |
| 2011 | 81 |
| 2012 | 139 |
| 2013 | 183 |
| 2014 | 214 |
| 2015 | 443 |
| 2016 | 426 |
| 2017 | 456 |
| 2018 | 442 |
| 2019 | 436 |
| 2020 | 526 |
| 2021 | 492 |
| 2022 | 435 |
| 2023 | 403 |
| 2024 | 376 |
Zelda through the decades
- Zelda peaked in 2020, when 526 babies were named Zelda in the US.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of Zelda has risen 371% compared to the 10 years before that.
- Zelda currently ranks #748 in the US and is holding steady.
Nicknames
Zelda
Variants & spellings
Griselda
Famous people named Zelda
- Zelda Fitzgerald — writer