What Does the Name Zelda Mean?

Zelda is a girl's name of German (Yiddish) origin meaning “Grey/dark battle; or blessed.”

Updated June 2026

Name	Zelda
Gender	female
Origin	German (Yiddish)
Meaning	Grey/dark battle; or blessed
Variants	Griselda, Selda, Zilda
Popularity	Most used in the United States, where it has enjoyed a vintage revival; recognized worldwide via the Legend of Zelda games.

The meaning and origin of Zelda

The name Zelda means “Grey/dark battle; or blessed” and has German (Yiddish) origins. Originally a short form of Germanic Griselda ("grey battle maiden"); it is also a Yiddish name meaning "blessed" or "happy." It gained fame through Zelda Fitzgerald and later the video-game character.

Variants and related names

Zelda is related to several other names you may recognize: Griselda, Selda, Zilda. These share a common root or are spelling and language variants of the same name.

How popular is the name Zelda?

Most used in the United States, where it has enjoyed a vintage revival; recognized worldwide via the Legend of Zelda games.

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