Girls' name · since 1895
Belma
Belma has 640 recorded births since 1895 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1918 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #10,097 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 640
- born since 1895
- 1910s
- peak decade
Belma is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 640 have been recorded since 1895.
Social Security Administration records show Belma recorded 640 times among girls since 1895, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used girls names, peaking in the 1910s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1895 to 2021.
- #10,097 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 640 born since 1895
- 1910s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Belma ranks #10,097 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 640 born since 1895, peaking in the 1910s.
- #10,097 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 640
- born since 1895
- 1910s
- peak decade
Belma's 640 recorded births place it above 86.03% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 2 jurisdictions, led by Texas.
Belma's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Belma's SSA record in two at 1951 and the more recent half accounts for 49% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 51%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1895, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1918 peak of 18, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Belma popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1895–2021
- Peak year (1918)
- 18
- Annual births at peak, across 127 years of records
No longer in the modern top-1000, last recorded 2021.
640 total births across 127 years of SSA records. Peaked in 1918 with 18 births in a single year.
Belma by decade
1910s is the heaviest window (104 births, 16% of the file).
1910s was Belma's strongest decade.
104 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 16% of all-time use.
Belma births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 5
1890s
5 births
- 1900s 23
1900s
23 births
- 1910s
1910s
104 births
- 1920s
1920s
101 births
- 1930s
1930s
58 births
- 1940s 26
1940s
26 births
- 1950s
1950s
78 births
- 1960s
1960s
65 births
- 1970s 21
1970s
21 births
- 1980s 8
1980s
8 births
- 1990s 13
1990s
13 births
- 2000s
2000s
92 births
- 2010s 41
2010s
41 births
- 2020s 5
2020s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1910s at 104 births (16% of all-time use).
Belma decade highlights
- Peak decade 104 births
- Runner-up 101 births
- Modern era share 2010s + 2020s
- Decades tracked with recorded births
How Belma compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Belma's total volume
Belma by state
Where Belma concentrates geographically, total births since 1895
Top 5 states
- Texas 3.1% of nationwide
- New York 0.8% of nationwide
Recorded in 2 of 51 SSA jurisdictions
Texas accounts for 3.1% of all recorded births nationwide - a relatively diffuse profile for this name.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Belma's data
- Belma's decade-level peak was the 1910s (104 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Belmas (20 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Belma
Nearby Names Like Belma
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Belma
Compare Belma side by side: Belma vs Bella Belma vs Belinda Belma vs Belle
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Belma: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1918)
Similar record span (~126 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1895–2021 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Belma draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
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