Thelma vs Theresa

Side-by-side comparison of Thelma and Theresa — popularity rank, total births, peak decade, and historical trends from Social Security Administration data.

Name A

Thelma

Girl name · Rank #4373

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Name B

Theresa

Girl name · Rank #1492

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Which name is more popular?

Metric Thelma Theresa
Current Rank #4373 #1492
Total Births (all years) 225,429 404,471
Peak Year 1921 1961
Peak Year Births 7,839 11,959
Peak Decade 1920ss 1960ss
Gender Girl Girl
First Recorded Year 1880 1880

Births by Decade

Decade Thelma Theresa
1880ss 76 2,505
1890ss 2,385 4,730
1900ss 18,265 6,396
1910ss 57,011 18,348
1920ss 68,767 36,667
1930ss 36,254 32,785
1940ss 20,229 35,790
1950ss 11,775 89,605
1960ss 5,895 97,115
1970ss 2,158 40,078
1980ss 1,170 22,390
1990ss 687 10,591
2000ss 379 4,554
2010ss 239 2,196
2020ss 139 721

Recent Annual Births (2014–present)

Year Thelma Theresa
2014 25 225
2015 27 210
2016 32 209
2017 26 219
2018 27 224
2019 22 184
2020 27 156
2021 31 150
2022 26 148
2023 23 122
2024 32 145

Data Sources

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications — National Data, ssa.gov/oact/babynames.
Source: SSA Annual Name Rankings, 1880–2024.

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