Find out how popular the first name Zenda has been for the last 23 years (from 1975 to 1997) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Zenda by gender

Based on the last 23 years of data, Zenda is exclusively a female name.

For the most recent data in 1997, there were 5 female babies and 0 male babies born with the name Zenda.

The history of the first name Zenda

The name Zenda is believed to have originated from the Slavic cultures of Eastern Europe, particularly in the regions that are now modern-day Poland and Ukraine. The name is thought to be derived from the Slavic root word "zend," which means "to live" or "life."

One of the earliest recorded references to the name Zenda can be found in a 12th-century Polish chronicle, which mentions a noblewoman named Zenda who lived in the town of Krakow. This suggests that the name was in use among the Polish nobility during the High Middle Ages.

In the 16th century, a famous Polish writer and poet named Jan Kochanowski included a character named Zenda in one of his pastoral plays. This literary reference further solidified the name's place in Polish culture and tradition.

The name Zenda also appears in several historical records from the 17th and 18th centuries in the regions of modern-day Ukraine and Belarus. One notable example is Zenda Radziwill (1625-1672), a Polish-Lithuanian noblewoman who played a significant role in the political and cultural life of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

Another historical figure with the name Zenda was Zenda Opaliński (1640-1695), a Polish nobleman and military commander who fought in the Polish-Ottoman Wars of the late 17th century.

In the 19th century, the name Zenda gained wider recognition with the publication of the novel "The Prisoner of Zenda" by Anthony Hope in 1894. The book, set in a fictional Central European country called Ruritania, featured a character named Princess Flavia, whose full name was Flavia Zenda.

Other notable individuals with the name Zenda include Zenda Lielpetere (1891-1964), a Latvian author and translator, and Zenda Addams (1915-1993), an American actress and dancer who appeared in several Broadway productions and Hollywood films.

While the name Zenda has its roots in Eastern Europe, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through immigration and cultural exchange. However, its origins and historical significance remain closely tied to the Slavic cultures of Poland, Ukraine, and Belarus.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Zenda was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Zenda, please contact us.

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