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ArchivesRe: Nelda & Zerelda
in reply to a message by lac
That interpretation of Nelda is someone confusing that name's origin with the origin of the British surname Neldrett, which did originally mean "at the alder grove", according to Reaney & Wilson's A Dictionary of English Surnames. But I think it unlikely that Nelda is a feminization of Neldrett, and the other interpretations are more likely for the female given name.
As for Zerelda -- the origin of this one is tough to find. It does not occur solely in the James family, but about the earliest birth of a Zerelda I can find is around 1812. Almost all of the early examples were born in Kentucky, where Mrs. James was from, though a few are in Indiana or eastern Tennessee. It may very well be that Zerelda, like Samantha, is simply a name created by some anonymous American in the early 19th century that caught on with a lot of his or her neighbors.
As for Zerelda -- the origin of this one is tough to find. It does not occur solely in the James family, but about the earliest birth of a Zerelda I can find is around 1812. Almost all of the early examples were born in Kentucky, where Mrs. James was from, though a few are in Indiana or eastern Tennessee. It may very well be that Zerelda, like Samantha, is simply a name created by some anonymous American in the early 19th century that caught on with a lot of his or her neighbors.
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