Selma
Selma is a feminine name of ambiguous origin. It could be a form of Selima, which in turn is a name first recorded in a poem by Thomas Gray. One possibility is that Selima was influenced by the Arabic name Selim meaning "peaceful". In Turkey, the name is a variation of the Arabic female name Salma. There may also be a homonymous name with Celtic origins, in which case it means "beautiful view".
- English
- German
- Dutch
- Swedish
Meaning & Origin of Selma
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Selma is a feminine name of ambiguous origin. It could be a form of Selima, which in turn is a name first recorded in a poem by Thomas Gray. One possibility is that Selima was influenced by the Arabic name Selim meaning "peaceful". In Turkey, the name is a variation of the Arabic female name Salma. There may also be a homonymous name with Celtic origins, in which case it means "beautiful view".
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
- German
- Dutch
- Swedish
- Norwegian
- Danish
- Icelandic
- Turkish
The Story of Selma
Selma first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 36 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1918: 798 births, good for #223 nationwide. The 1920s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 25% of all recorded Selmas. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #2,824 among baby girl names with 60 births, falling sharply (-20%). In total, more than 27K Selmas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Selma
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Selma. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Selma
Phonetically similar names — useful when Selma 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 Selma
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About the name Selma
Selma is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 27K births in the dataset. Selma's peak popularity came in 1918 when it ranked #162. Use the chart and map above to compare Selma'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 "S" →
- 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.