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
Above the archive median
All-time archive position

Belma's 640 recorded births place it above 86.03% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.

2 jurisdictions
State-record footprint

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

Last recorded 2021
Peak year (1918)
18
Annual births at peak, across 127 years of records
05101520 189519161926193819551965200220122021 5

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

births

What this shows Peak: 1910s at 104 births (16% of all-time use).

Source U.S. Social Security Administration · Baby Names As of August 2026

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 vs 15 similarly-sized girls names Scatter plot of 16 data points. 0%10%20%30% 050100150 New & already peakedOld name, single-era peakNew & still diversifyingLong history, steady all along Years in SSA records % of total births in the single peak year -44, 5.9%-20, 12.5%-106, 2.5%-26, 13%-53, 10.5%-36, 10.1%-45, 5.1%-45, 4.4%-51, 5.9%-76, 3.7%-38, 5.3%-6, 28.1%-108, 13.9%-29, 7%-110, 3.6%Belma-127, 2.8%Belma
Belma vs 15 similarly-sized girls names

Belma by state

Where Belma concentrates geographically, total births since 1895

Geographically diffuse
Top 2 states by recorded births for the name Belma
Rank State Visual share Births Share of total
#1 Texas
20 3.1%
#2 New York
5 0.8%
Texas share of Belma's total US births 3.1%
Even split

20 of 640 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 2 reporting states.

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Belma?
Since 1895, Social Security records show 640 babies named Belma. Across the full SSA archive it ranks #10,097 of 72,339 girls' names by total births. The most recent recorded year was 2021. Its busiest year on record was 1918, with 18 births.
Where does Belma sit in the SSA name archive?
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Belma ranks #10,097 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). All-time ordinal matches browse popularity (total births DESC); the current ordinal uses the null SSA file. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
When was Belma most popular?
Belma was most popular in the 1910s decade with 104 total births. The single peak year was 1918.
Where is Belma most popular?
The top states for the name Belma are Texas (20 births), New York (5 births).
How long has the name Belma been used?
Records for Belma go back to 1895, giving 127 years of history through 2021.
What names are similar to Belma?
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Bella, Belinda, Belle, Belen, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.

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

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.

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.