Selma
How to say it: SEL-muh · /ˈsɛlmə/
Germanic short form of Anselma ('divine helmet') - also Arabic Salma meaning 'safe'; classic in Europe.
Selma was the 2,037th most popular girls’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 61 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 1890s, its births are down about 29% in ten years, and it is projected to slip to #2,310 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among girls’ names, 2025 | #2,037 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 61 |
| Share of births | 1 in 54,349 |
| Peak decade | 1890s |
| Change over 10 years | −29% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #2,310 |
| In France, 2025 | #267 among girls’ names, 225 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Selma peaked in the 1890s and is less common today.
What goes with it
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Selma is about under 1 in 200.
Around the world
This spelling is used in Arabic, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish.
In France: #267 for girls in 2025.
Famous people named Selma
- Selma Lagerlöf (1858–1940)Swedish writer
- Selma Blair (born 1972)American actress
- Selma Ergeç (born 1978)Turkish-German actor
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
Good to know
- Selma Bouvier, Marge's chain-smoking older twin sister on The Simpsons (with Patty); a long-running, widely known TV association.
Keep exploring
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