Norma
Norma was the 2012th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 95 babies. Its best year was 1931, when it ranked 22nd with 8,759 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 387 places. More babies were named Norma in the 1930s than in any other decade.
Meaning coined for Bellini's opera (1831) · Italian
Say it NOR-muh /ˈnɔɹmə/
- Rank in 2025
- #2,012 girls, up 360 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 95girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19318,759 babies
- Total since 1880
- 279,349babies recorded
What does the name Norma mean?
Norma was popularized as the name of the heroine, a Druid priestess, in Vincenzo Bellini's opera Norma (1831), with a libretto by Felice Romani, as Wiktionary notes. Its origin is not documented: it is sometimes explained as Latin norma 'rule, pattern' or as a feminine of Norman. Norma was common in the US in the 1920s and 1930s; Norma Jeane Baker became Marilyn Monroe.
norma (Latin, “rule, pattern (suggested)”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. The opera's role is documented; any meaning is a later explanation.
Related names: Norman, Normandie.
See also: Italian names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Norma', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (our computation), SSA (public domain)
Norma popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 1,278 since 1908.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,012 | 95 |
| 2020 | #2,372 | 75 |
| 2010 | #1,766 | 117 |
| 2000 | #900 | 244 |
| 1990 | #494 | 494 |
| 1980 | #320 | 756 |
| 1970 | #218 | 1,435 |
| 1960 | #162 | 2,562 |
| 1950 | #104 | 3,411 |
| 1940 | #43 | 5,334 |
| 1930 | #25 | 8,511 |
| 1920 | #69 | 3,949 |
| 1910 | #159 | 486 |
| 1900 | #174 | 316 |
| 1890 | #207 | 134 |
| 1880 | #277 | 32 |
How popular is Norma, counting every spelling?
Norma has no other common spelling that sounds the same.
How many kids will share the name Norma?
95 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Norma (0.03 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Norma born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 88 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Norma.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Norma?
About 105,000 people born in the US named Norma are alive today, with a median age of 71; half are between 59 and 82. That makes Norma a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Norma by state
How common Norma was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Texas (1.9×). In 41 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Norma: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Norma, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Norma · Sibling names for Norma
Questions about the name Norma
What does Norma mean?
Norma is usually explained as “coined for Bellini's opera (1831)”, but this is uncertain. Certainty: uncertain.
How popular is the name Norma?
Norma was the 2012th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 95 babies. Its best year was 1931, when it ranked 22nd with 8,759 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 387 places. More babies were named Norma in the 1930s than in any other decade.
Is Norma a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Norma in the US.
Where is Norma most popular?
In 2021–2025, Norma was most common in Texas (0.10 per 1,000 girls), followed by Wisconsin and California.