Elma
Elma is a primarily feminine given name of various origins.
- Dutch
- English
- German
Meaning & Origin of Elma
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Elma is a primarily feminine given name of various origins.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Dutch
- English
- German
The Story of Elma
American parents first put Elma on the record books as a baby girl name in 1880, with 28 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1918, when 659 Elmas were born — ranking #249 that year. About 23% of every Elma on record arrived during the 1920s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Elma ranks #4,564 for baby girls with 30 births, holding steady (-4%). All told, over 22K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Elma
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Elma. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Anselma
- Helma
- Helmine
- Mien
- Mina
- Minna
- Wil
- Wilhelmina
- Wilhelmine
- Willeke
- Willemijn
- Willemina
- Willy
- Wilma
Names that sound like Elma
Phonetically similar names — useful when Elma is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Elma
What does the name Elma mean?
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How popular is Elma in 2026?
When was Elma most popular?
In which U.S. states is Elma most popular?
Is Elma a unisex name?
What names go well with Elma?
What are nicknames or variants of Elma?
About the name Elma
Elma is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 22K births in the dataset. Elma's peak popularity came in 1918 when it ranked #209. Use the chart and map above to compare Elma's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1918 →
- Names of the 1910s →
- Names starting with "E" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.