Hello,
What is the origin and the meaning of the eastern europe Jewish name Zelda (and I don't mean the short of griselda)
Thanks

I did find something on the following site that might be helpful to you. Baby Name Zelda - Origin and Meaning of Zelda (http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/0/Zelda)

A quote from the above referenced site is below.



The girl's name Zelda \z(e)-lda (http://www.thinkbabynames.com/ending/0/lda), zel (http://www.thinkbabynames.com/starting/0/Zel)-da (http://www.thinkbabynames.com/ending/0/da)\ is pronounced ZEL-dah. Nickname (http://www.thinkbabynames.com/search/0/nickname) of Griselda (http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/0/Griselda) (Old (http://www.thinkbabynames.com/search/0/old) German (http://www.thinkbabynames.com/search/0/german)) "dark (http://www.thinkbabynames.com/search/0/dark) battle (http://www.thinkbabynames.com/search/0/battle)". Name of F. Scott Fitzgerald's glamorous (http://www.thinkbabynames.com/search/0/glamorous) but unstable wife (http://www.thinkbabynames.com/search/0/wife). The similar-sounding Zelde (http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/0/Zelde) is a Yiddish (http://www.thinkbabynames.com/search/0/yiddish) name meaning "happiness (http://www.thinkbabynames.com/search/0/happiness)".
Zelda has 3 variant forms: Selda (http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/0/Selda), Zelde (http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/0/Zelde) and Zellda (http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/0/Zellda).

Baby names that sound like Zelda are Celida (http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/0/Celida) and Zlata (http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/0/Zlata).
Zelda is a very popular female first name and a very rare surname (source: 1990 U.S. Census). Displayed below is the baby name popularity trend for the girl's name Zelda. Click here (http://www.thinkbabynames.com/babyname.php?g=0&n=Zelda&a=1) to compare Zelda with related baby names.

Thank you Clough,
I still have a problem. Till now I did not find in Yiddish or german a word similar to zelda meaning happiness or any other meaning. Neither I found any word like this in any other languages that influence Yiddish: hebrew, eastern europe languages, or even spanish.
eitan

I think there are two names involved here, the German origin Zelda (Warrior of some kind), and the Slavic origin Zlata meaning golden. A Jewish American baby named after a relative named Zlata, might end up with the "English" name Zelda.

Zelda Female Old German gray warrior

Found the info at

Baby Names : Baby Names Meaning For Boys Names & Girls Names (http://www.kiddiekids.co.uk/Baby-Names/Baby-Names.php)