Rosalind
Rosalind was the 1521st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 140 babies. Its best year was 1942, when it ranked 292nd; the most babies were born in 1965 (652). Over the last ten years it has moved up 15 places. More babies were named Rosalind in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Meaning "horse" + "soft, tender" · Germanic
Say it RAH-zuh-lind /ˈrɑzəlɪnd/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,521 girls, down 90 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 140girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1965652 babies
- Total since 1880
- 27,136babies recorded
What does the name Rosalind mean?
Rosalind is a Germanic name made of hros, "horse", and lind, "soft, tender, gentle". In the Middle Ages it was reinterpreted through Spanish rosa linda, "pretty rose", a popular explanation that is not its origin. Shakespeare used it for the heroine of As You Like It. In the US it was most common in the 1940s to 1960s.
*hrussą (Proto-Germanic, “horse”)*linþaz (Proto-Germanic, “soft, tender”)
How sure is this? Probable. The Germanic elements are the standard explanation; the second may also be read as "linden".
Other explanations you may read: Rosalind means 'pretty rose' (Spanish rosa linda).
Related names: Rosalinda, Rosaline, Roz, Rosamund.
See also: Germanic names, names that mean an animal.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Rosalind', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wikipedia, 'Rosalind (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Rosamund', DMNES (Durham University)
Nicknames for Rosalind
The usual nicknames for Rosalind are Roz and Rosie. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 girls named Rosalind in the last five years, 556 were named Rosie, against 274 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roz · also for Rosalyn | Traditional | — | — |
| Rosie · also for Rose, Rosalie, Rosemary | Traditional | #283 | 4,298 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Rosalinds go by each one.
Rosalind popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,521 | 140 |
| 2020 | #1,431 | 153 |
| 2010 | #3,352 | 49 |
| 2000 | #3,505 | 38 |
| 1990 | #1,825 | 79 |
| 1980 | #1,295 | 99 |
| 1970 | #520 | 368 |
| 1960 | #375 | 649 |
| 1950 | #321 | 571 |
| 1940 | #332 | 368 |
| 1930 | #610 | 130 |
| 1920 | #469 | 210 |
| 1910 | #557 | 55 |
| 1900 | #854 | 20 |
| 1890 | #786 | 13 |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Rosalind, counting every spelling?
Rosalind is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #1,395 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,521 for Rosalind on its own. Together these spellings went to 140 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rosalind | 140 | #1,521 | 773 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Rosalind?
140 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Rosalind (0.04 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Rosalind born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 60 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Rosalind.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Rosalind?
About 17,900 people born in the US named Rosalind are alive today, with a median age of 63; half are between 50 and 73. That makes Rosalind a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Rosalind by state
How common Rosalind was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Wisconsin (2.3×), Massachusetts (2.3×), Ohio (1.7×), Tennessee (1.7×), Michigan (1.6×). In 29 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Rosalind: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Rosalind, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Rosalind · Sibling names for Rosalind
Questions about the name Rosalind
What does Rosalind mean?
Rosalind means “"horse" + "soft, tender"” (Germanic origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Rosalind?
Rosalind was the 1521st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 140 babies. Its best year was 1942, when it ranked 292nd; the most babies were born in 1965 (652). Over the last ten years it has moved up 15 places. More babies were named Rosalind in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Is Rosalind a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Rosalind in the US.
Where is Rosalind most popular?
In 2021–2025, Rosalind was most common in Wisconsin (0.22 per 1,000 girls), followed by Massachusetts and Oregon.