Zelda

#832 for girls in 2025, 328 births · Last seen for boys in 1932 at #3,776
Given to girls >99.9% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · girls
1911 · 117 births
Debut · girls
6 births
In top 100 · girls
never
of 146 years
Total births · girls
16,734
since 1880

Zelda over time

girls

Rank among girls' names. Zelda has never cracked the top 300 here.

#1#10#100#1,000#10,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201917peak #374, 1911girls
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#832328
2024#747377
2023#704403
2022#670435
2021#608492
2020#558526
2019#664436
2018#667442
2017#648456
2016#687426
2015#648443
2014#1,156214
2013#1,286183
2012#1,566139
2011#2,29881
2010#2,61469
2009#2,94059
2008#3,12054
2007#3,21453
2006#3,31649
2005#3,64640
2004#4,49230
2003#4,41829
2002#4,90624
2001#5,17422
2000#3,98331
1999#5,42419
1998#6,36015
1997#10,8367
1996#6,39214
1995#13,3865
1994#5,71316
1993#6,26414
1992#6,31414
1991#4,49722
1990#5,06018
1989#4,67019
1988#4,84017
1987#5,92312
1986#4,72416
1985#5,34813
1984#5,53912
1983#4,10918
1982#5,53412
1981#4,53216
1980#3,99219
1979#5,42712
1978#3,77719
1977#3,00226
1976#3,81217
1975#2,74327
1974#2,55629
1973#2,45530
1972#2,02239
1971#2,10739
1970#1,49067
1969#1,64853
1968#1,09095
1967#997105
1966#940117
1965#996109
1964#904133
1963#793171
1962#781178
1961#805169
1960#909135
1959#860142
1958#892131
1957#903127
1956#838141
1955#890120
1954#933107
1953#906107
1952#95496
1951#99688
1950#885101
1949#93590
1948#842108
1947#89897
1946#732122
1945#80388
1944#715111
1943#705118
1942#725106
1941#681106
1940#618128
1939#593127
1938#568145
1937#556147
1936#593124
1935#502161
1934#468189
1933#506160
1932#468197#3,7765
1931#488175
1930#450225
1929#455209
1928#446233
1927#453236
1926#444231
1925#436251
1924#442250
1923#455227
1922#415251
1921#405280
1920#470208
1919#438225
1918#416250
1917#407240
1916#389258
1915#397230
1914#427159
1913#389155
1912#397134
1911#374117
1910#42686
1909#47762
1908#38886
1907#43467
1906#42864
1905#38776
1904#39568
1903#47845
1902#51838
1901#45243
1900#49946
1899#49835
1898#50238
1897#58427
1896#53831
1895#56528
1894#58625
1893#56125
1892#76215
1891#66916
1890#72714
1889#72413
1888#79311
1887#1,1475
1886#8288
1885#9216
1884#8517
1883
1882#8136
1881
1880#7386
First appearance
1880

In the first year the SSA published name data, Zelda was already there! It came in at #738, and was given to 6 baby girls.


Quietest stretch: 1881, when fewer than 5 girls a year got the name.

Where Zelda is popular in 1917

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Zelda, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 girls named Zelda, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 girls named Zelda, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 girls named Zelda, so not publishedNHWashington: fewer than 5 girls named Zelda, so not publishedWAIdaho: fewer than 5 girls named Zelda, so not publishedIDMontana: fewer than 5 girls named Zelda, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Zelda, so not publishedNDMinnesota: #351 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 3,597 girlsMNIllinois: #292 for girls · 20 births · 1 in 2,912 girlsILWisconsin: fewer than 5 girls named Zelda, so not publishedWIMichigan: #480 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 6,834 girlsMINew York: #298 for girls · 27 births · 1 in 3,600 girlsNYMassachusetts: #316 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 4,397 girlsMARhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Zelda, so not publishedRIOregon: fewer than 5 girls named Zelda, so not publishedORNevada: fewer than 5 girls named Zelda, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 girls named Zelda, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: #213 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 1,226 girlsSDIowa: #331 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 2,947 girlsIAIndiana: #283 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 2,698 girlsINOhio: #444 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 7,242 girlsOHPennsylvania: #241 for girls · 35 births · 1 in 2,669 girlsPANew Jersey: fewer than 5 girls named Zelda, so not publishedNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 girls named Zelda, so not publishedCTCalifornia: fewer than 5 girls named Zelda, so not publishedCAUtah: fewer than 5 girls named Zelda, so not publishedUTColorado: fewer than 5 girls named Zelda, so not publishedCONebraska: #277 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 1,968 girlsNEMissouri: fewer than 5 girls named Zelda, so not publishedMOKentucky: fewer than 5 girls named Zelda, so not publishedKYWest Virginia: #357 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 3,223 girlsWVVirginia: fewer than 5 girls named Zelda, so not publishedVAMaryland: fewer than 5 girls named Zelda, so not publishedMDDelaware: fewer than 5 girls named Zelda, so not publishedDEArizona: fewer than 5 girls named Zelda, so not publishedAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 girls named Zelda, so not publishedNMKansas: #315 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 2,494 girlsKSArkansas: #412 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 3,000 girlsARTennessee: fewer than 5 girls named Zelda, so not publishedTNNorth Carolina: #437 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 5,251 girlsNCSouth Carolina: fewer than 5 girls named Zelda, so not publishedSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Zelda, so not publishedDCOklahoma: fewer than 5 girls named Zelda, so not publishedOKLouisiana: fewer than 5 girls named Zelda, so not publishedLAMississippi: #418 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 3,520 girlsMSAlabama: fewer than 5 girls named Zelda, so not publishedALGeorgia: fewer than 5 girls named Zelda, so not publishedGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Zelda, so not publishedHITexas: #548 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 4,297 girlsTXFlorida: fewer than 5 girls named Zelda, so not publishedFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. South Dakota#213 · 1 in 1,226
  2. Pennsylvania#241 · 1 in 2,669
  3. Nebraska#277 · 1 in 1,968
  4. Indiana#283 · 1 in 2,698
  5. Illinois#292 · 1 in 2,912

Best ever in a state: #102 in Idaho, 1916.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
South Dakota#21351 in 1,226
Pennsylvania#241351 in 2,669
Nebraska#27761 in 1,968
Indiana#28391 in 2,698
Illinois#292201 in 2,912
New York#298271 in 3,600
Kansas#31561 in 2,494
Massachusetts#31681 in 4,397
Iowa#33171 in 2,947
Minnesota#35161 in 3,597
West Virginia#35751 in 3,223
Arkansas#41261 in 3,000
Mississippi#41851 in 3,520
North Carolina#43761 in 5,251
Ohio#44471 in 7,242
Michigan#48051 in 6,834
Texas#548111 in 4,297
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Missouri
Montana
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
North Dakota
Oklahoma
Oregon
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Tennessee
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
Wisconsin
Wyoming

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the girls born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Zelda
Momentum · girls
Falling
  • 85 spots since 2024 (#747#832)
  • 274 spots since 2020 (#558#832)
  • 184 spots since 2015 (#648#832)
  • Biggest jump: 508 spots in 2015 (#1,156#648)
  • Biggest drop: 319 spots in 1887 (#828#1,147)
Rise & fade · girls
31 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 1911 at #374 (117 births)
  • Births halved by 1969, 58 yrs later
Top of the charts · girls
Top 1,000 for 96 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: never
  • Top 1,000: 96 yrs · run 1888–1967
Share of babies · girls
1 in 3,073
  • Highest: 1 in 3,073 girls born in 2020 were named Zelda (0.03%)
  • Latest: 1 in 4,900 girls born in 2025 (0.02%)
  • Its best rank, #374 in 1911, was only 1 in 3,575 (0.03%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
Era · girls
The 2010s
  • 17.3% of all girls named Zelda (2,889) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s62#724 (1889)#852
1890s254#498 (1899)#599
1900s595#387 (1905)#446
1910s1,854#374 (1911)#406
1920s2,376#405 (1921)#442
1930s1,650#450 (1930)#519
1940s1,074#618 (1940)#765
1950s1,160#838 (1956)#906
1960s1,265#781 (1962)#986
1970s305#1,490 (1970)#2,939
1980s154#3,992 (1980)#4,921
1990s144#4,497 (1991)#7,025
2000s391#2,940 (2009)#3,921
2010s2,889#648 (2017)#1,223
2020s2,561#558 (2020)#687

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 girls in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Zelda in 1917

girls
#407
240 births · 1 in 4,505 girls

Top girls' names in 1917

  1. #1Mary64,280
  2. #2Helen34,251
  3. #3Dorothy28,852
  4. #4Margaret25,560
  5. #5Ruth23,568
  6. #6Mildred16,256
  7. #7Anna15,160
  8. #8Elizabeth15,131
  9. #9Frances14,363
  10. #10Virginia14,261
  11. #407Zelda240
More about 1917

girls

1,081,267 girls got a published name in 1917; 1 in 4,505 of them was named Zelda, which outranked 92.3% of the 5,310 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.3% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Zelda
  1. #404Verda245
  2. #405Georgie244
  3. #405Rubye244
  4. #407Zelda240
  5. #407Cynthia240
  6. #409Pansy238
  7. #410Isabella237
  8. #410Jacqueline237

Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1916
Risers
  1. 549Georgene#1,445#896
  2. 380Ottie#1,332#952
  3. 365Louis#1,298#933
  4. 334Valentine#1,298#964
  5. 322Harold#1,210#888
Fallers
  1. 401Ceola#840#1,241
  2. 373Floretta#964#1,337
  3. 344Buelah#993#1,337
  4. 326Glennie#915#1,241
  5. 290Maye#915#1,205

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1917