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Rosalind vs Zelda

Which is more popular?
Rosalind is more popular than Zelda today: about 140 US babies were given the name Rosalind in 2025, compared with 0 named Zelda.
RosalindZelda
Meaning Disputed: gentle horse / beautiful rose Battle (grey battle-maid)
Origin germanic germanic
Gender Girl Girl
Pronunciation ROZ-uh-lind ZEL-duh
Syllables 3 2
First appeared18880
Peak year1965 (652)2020 (526)
In 20251400
TrendRisingRising
Popularity over time, 1880–2025
Rosalind Zelda
18801900192019401960198020002020

Source: US Social Security Administration.

Births by decade

DecadeRosalindZelda
2020s 926 2,561
2010s 1,252 2,889
2000s 404 391
1990s 535 144
1980s 921 154
1970s 2,168 305
1960s 5,350 1,265
1950s 5,331 1,160
1940s 4,409 1,074
1930s 1,855 1,650
1920s 2,093 2,376
1910s 1,403 1,854
1900s 314 595
1890s 158 254
1880s 17 62

What does Rosalind mean?

Disputed etymology. Originally Germanic, from 'hros' (horse) + 'lind' (soft, tender), i.e. roughly 'gentle horse'. In Romance-speaking areas it was reinterpreted by folk etymology as Latin/Spanish 'rosa linda' meaning 'beautiful rose'. The floral meaning is the popular later reading, not the original.

What does Zelda mean?

Commonly a short form of Griselda, from Germanic 'gris' (grey) and 'hild' (battle). A separate Yiddish name Zelda meaning roughly 'blessed/happy' also exists, so the battle sense specifically traces to the Griselda line.

Frequently asked questions

Is Rosalind or Zelda more popular?

Rosalind is more popular than Zelda today: about 140 US babies were given the name Rosalind in 2025, compared with 0 named Zelda.

What is the difference between Rosalind and Zelda?

Rosalind means Disputed: gentle horse / beautiful rose (germanic origin), while Zelda means Battle (grey battle-maid) (germanic origin).

Which name is older, Rosalind or Zelda?

In US records, Rosalind first appears in 1888 and Zelda in 0, so Zelda has the longer recorded history.