Thelma
Thelma was the 4745th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 29 babies. Its best year was 1910, when it ranked 25th; the most babies were born in 1921 (7,839). Over the last ten years it has moved up 369 places. More babies were named Thelma in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning literary invention (19th century) · Swedish, English
Say it THEL-muh /ˈθɛlmə/
- Rank in 2025
- #4,745 girls, up 122 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 29girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19217,839 babies
- Total since 1880
- 226,602babies recorded
What does the name Thelma mean?
Thelma is a literary invention. Wiktionary notes it first appeared in the Swedish novel Kyrkoinvigningen i Hammarby (1840-41) by Emilie Flygare-Carlén; Marie Corelli's popular novel Thelma (1887) later spread it in English. It is often explained as Greek thelēma 'will, wish', but that is a folk etymology. Thelma was very popular in the US around 1920.
How sure is this? Well established. The coinage is documented; a meaning is not.
Other explanations you may read: Greek thelēma 'will, wish'.
Related names: Selma, Velma, Elma.
See also: Scandinavian names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Thelma', 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)
Thelma popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 1,142 since 1896.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #4,745 | 29 |
| 2020 | #4,867 | 27 |
| 2010 | #6,609 | 20 |
| 2000 | #2,901 | 50 |
| 1990 | #1,632 | 92 |
| 1980 | #994 | 148 |
| 1970 | #623 | 274 |
| 1960 | #326 | 835 |
| 1950 | #187 | 1,458 |
| 1940 | #101 | 2,461 |
| 1930 | #45 | 5,250 |
| 1920 | #31 | 7,814 |
| 1910 | #25 | 2,976 |
| 1900 | #73 | 1,094 |
| 1890 | #568 | 22 |
| 1880 | #936 | 5 |
How popular is Thelma, counting every spelling?
Thelma has no other common spelling that sounds the same.
How many kids will share the name Thelma?
29 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Thelma (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Thelma 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 291 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Thelma.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Thelma?
About 38,200 people born in the US named Thelma are alive today, with a median age of 77; half are between 66 and 85. That makes Thelma 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.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Thelma: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Thelma, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Thelma · Sibling names for Thelma
Questions about the name Thelma
What does Thelma mean?
Thelma means “literary invention (19th century)” (Swedish, English origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Thelma?
Thelma was the 4745th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 29 babies. Its best year was 1910, when it ranked 25th; the most babies were born in 1921 (7,839). Over the last ten years it has moved up 369 places. More babies were named Thelma in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Thelma a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Thelma in the US.