Zelda
Zelda was the 832nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 328 babies. Its best year was 1911, when it ranked 376th; the most babies were born in 2020 (526). Over the last ten years it has moved down 183 places. More babies were named Zelda in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning short for Griselda (meaning uncertain) · Germanic
Say it ZEL-duh /ˈzɛldə/
- Rank in 2025
- #832 girls, down 273 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 328girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2020526 babies
- Total since 1880
- 16,739babies recorded
What does the name Zelda mean?
Zelda is shortened from Griselda, according to Wiktionary. DMNES suggests Griselda may join Germanic words for grey and battle, but marks this as possible only. DMNES notes that "Patient Griselda," the long-suffering wife in tales by Petrarch and Chaucer, made the longer name known. Zelda has been used in the US since 1880, and Wiktionary notes the video game series The Legend of Zelda as a separate modern use.
*grēwaz (Proto-Germanic, “grey (possible)”)hiltja (Old High German, “battle (possible)”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. DMNES gives the Germanic elements as 'possibly'.
Related names: Griselda, Selda, Zelde.
See also: Germanic names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Zelda' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Griselda', DMNES (Durham University)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Zelda popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 5 since 1932.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #832 | 328 |
| 2020 | #559 | 526 |
| 2010 | #2,641 | 69 |
| 2000 | #4,077 | 31 |
| 1990 | #5,285 | 18 |
| 1980 | #4,147 | 19 |
| 1970 | #1,504 | 67 |
| 1960 | #914 | 135 |
| 1950 | #889 | 101 |
| 1940 | #621 | 128 |
| 1930 | #450 | 225 |
| 1920 | #472 | 208 |
| 1910 | #431 | 86 |
| 1900 | #503 | 46 |
| 1890 | #757 | 14 |
| 1880 | #834 | 6 |
How popular is Zelda, counting every spelling?
Zelda has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #820 for girls in 2025, against #832 on the official list.
How many kids will share the name Zelda?
328 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Zelda (0.09 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Zelda 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 26 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Zelda.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Zelda?
About 9,400 people born in the US named Zelda are alive today, with a median age of 11; half are between 6 and 63. That makes Zelda a young name: most people with it are children. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
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.
Zelda by state
How common Zelda was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Oregon (2.1×), Colorado (2.1×), Missouri (1.9×), Washington (1.7×), Oklahoma (1.5×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Zelda: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Zelda, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Zelda · Sibling names for Zelda
Questions about the name Zelda
What does Zelda mean?
Zelda is usually explained as “short for Griselda (meaning uncertain)”, but this is uncertain. Certainty: uncertain.
How popular is the name Zelda?
Zelda was the 832nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 328 babies. Its best year was 1911, when it ranked 376th; the most babies were born in 2020 (526). Over the last ten years it has moved down 183 places. More babies were named Zelda in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Zelda a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Zelda in the US.
Where is Zelda most popular?
In 2021–2025, Zelda was most common in Oregon (0.54 per 1,000 girls), followed by Colorado and Missouri.