Zelma
Zelma is a primarily feminine given name, a variant of the name Selma.
Meaning & Origin of Zelma
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Zelma is a primarily feminine given name, a variant of the name Selma.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Zelma
Zelma first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 19 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1919, when 488 Zelmas were born — ranking #287 that year. As of 2026, Zelma ranks #6,471 for baby girls with 18 births, rising sharply (+31% over the past five years). In total, more than 17K Zelmas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Zelma
Phonetically similar names — useful when Zelma 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 Zelma
What does the name Zelma mean?
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About the name Zelma
Zelma is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 17K births in the dataset. Zelma's peak popularity came in 1919 when it ranked #216. Use the chart and map above to compare Zelma's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1919 →
- Names of the 1910s →
- Names starting with "Z" →
- 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.