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 #4299

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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 #4299 #1492
Total Births (all years) 225,460 404,613
Peak Year 1921 1961
Peak Year Births 7,839 11,960
Peak Decade 1920s 1960s
Gender Girl Girl
First Recorded Year 1880 1880

Births by Decade

Decade Thelma Theresa
1880s 76 2,505
1890s 2,385 4,730
1900s 18,265 6,396
1910s 57,011 18,348
1920s 68,767 36,666
1930s 36,254 32,785
1940s 20,229 35,789
1950s 11,776 89,608
1960s 5,894 97,118
1970s 2,158 40,076
1980s 1,170 22,389
1990s 687 10,591
2000s 379 4,555
2010s 239 2,198
2020s 170 859

Recent Annual Births (2014–present)

Year Thelma Theresa
2014 25 226
2015 27 210
2016 32 210
2017 26 219
2018 27 224
2019 22 184
2020 27 156
2021 32 150
2022 26 148
2023 23 123
2024 33 146
2025 29 136

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, 1880–2025.

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