Velma
Velma was the 5903rd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 21 babies. Its best year was 1912, when it ranked 88th; the most babies were born in 1921 (2,606). Over the last ten years it has moved up 10,390 places. More babies were named Velma in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning 19th-century coinage · American English
Say it VEL-muh /ˈvɛlmə/
- Rank in 2025
- #5,903 girls, up 1,643 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 21girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19212,606 babies
- Total since 1880
- 87,202babies recorded
What does the name Velma mean?
Velma was coined at the end of the 19th century by analogy with Thelma and Wilma, as Wiktionary notes, and has no inherited meaning. It was popular in the US around 1900-1930. Velma Dinkley of the Scooby-Doo cartoons (1969) and Velma Kelly of the musical Chicago are well-known fictional bearers.
How sure is this? Probable. A coined name.
Related names: Thelma, Wilma, Selma.
See also: American names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Velma', 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)
Velma popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 450 since 1901.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #5,903 | 21 |
| 2020 | #7,546 | 15 |
| 2010 | #12,219 | 9 |
| 2000 | #8,518 | 12 |
| 1990 | #3,356 | 33 |
| 1980 | #1,527 | 78 |
| 1970 | #783 | 181 |
| 1960 | #407 | 559 |
| 1950 | #267 | 825 |
| 1940 | #188 | 986 |
| 1930 | #127 | 1,918 |
| 1920 | #105 | 2,491 |
| 1910 | #90 | 1,035 |
| 1900 | #141 | 426 |
| 1890 | #257 | 96 |
| 1880 | #434 | 16 |
How popular is Velma, counting every spelling?
Velma has no other common spelling that sounds the same.
How many kids will share the name Velma?
21 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Velma (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Velma 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 401 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Velma.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Velma?
About 18,900 people born in the US named Velma are alive today, with a median age of 75; half are between 65 and 83. That makes Velma 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.
Velma by state
How common Velma was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. In 49 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 Velma: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Velma, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Velma · Sibling names for Velma
Questions about the name Velma
What does Velma mean?
Velma means “19th-century coinage” (American English origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Velma?
Velma was the 5903rd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 21 babies. Its best year was 1912, when it ranked 88th; the most babies were born in 1921 (2,606). Over the last ten years it has moved up 10,390 places. More babies were named Velma in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Velma a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Velma in the US.
Where is Velma most popular?
In 2021–2025, Velma was most common in Texas (0.01 per 1,000 girls), followed by California and California.