Thelma
How to say it: THEL-muh · /ˈθelmə/
From Greek 'thelema' meaning 'will, wish' - popularized by Marie Corelli's 1887 novel Thelma.
Thelma was the 2,911th most popular girls’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 29 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 1910s, its births are up about 28% in ten years, and it is projected to rise to #2,379 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 | #2,911 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 29 |
| Share of births | 1 in 92,092 |
| Peak decade | 1910s |
| Change over 10 years | +28% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #2,379 |
| In France, 2025 | #200 among girls’ names, 300 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Thelma peaked in the 1910s.
What goes with it
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Thelma is about under 1 in 200.
Around the world
This spelling is used in Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish.
In France: #200 for girls in 2025.
Famous people named Thelma
- Thelma Schoonmaker (born 1940)American film editor
- Thelma Ritter (1902–1969)American actress and vaudevillian
- Thelma Houston (born 1946)American singer
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
Keep exploring
About as popular as Thelma
Find names you'll both love, starting with Thelma
The one-minute style quiz.