Girls' name · since 1880

Helma

Helma has 595 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1916 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.

#10,616 of 72,339
all-time among girls
595
born since 1880
1910s
peak decade

Helma is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 595 have been recorded since 1880.

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Helma has been recorded 595 times among girls since 1880, though it is not among the currently most-used girls names, with its heaviest use in the 1910s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 1952.

  • #10,616 of 72,339 all-time among girls
  • 595 born since 1880
  • 1910s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Helma ranks #10,616 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 595 born since 1880, peaking in the 1910s.

#10,616 of 72,339
all-time among girls
595
born since 1880
1910s
peak decade
Above the archive median
All-time archive position

Helma's 595 recorded births place it above 85.31% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.

1 jurisdictions
State-record footprint

The state file records this name in 1 jurisdictions, led by Wisconsin.

Helma's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Divide Helma's SSA record in two at 1912 and the more recent half accounts for 55% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 45%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1887, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1916 peak of 25, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.

Helma popularity over time

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–1952

Last recorded 1952
Peak year (1916)
25
Annual births at peak, across 73 years of records
051015202530 18801892190019081916192419321952 5

Helma by decade

1910s is the heaviest window (154 births, 26% of the file).

1910s was Helma's strongest decade.

154 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 26% of all-time use.

Helma births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1910s at 154 births (26% of all-time use).

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

How Helma 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 Helma's total volume

Helma vs 15 similarly-sized girls names Scatter plot of 16 data points. 2%4%6%8%10%12%14% 20406080100 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 -28, 10.9%-33, 6.2%-25, 9.2%-40, 11.3%-41, 5.2%-88, 6.4%-46, 4.7%-49, 11.7%-59, 6.9%-30, 5.6%-30, 9.1%-47, 7.1%-27, 7.2%-30, 7%-28, 9.7%Helma-73, 4.2%Helma
Helma vs 15 similarly-sized girls names

Helma by state

Where Helma concentrates geographically, total births since 1880

Geographically diffuse
Top 1 states by recorded births for the name Helma
Rank State Visual share Births Share of total
#1 Wisconsin
6 1.0%
Wisconsin share of Helma's total US births 1.0%

6 of 595 births nationwide.

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Helma?
595 babies have been named Helma since 1880. All-time, it sits at #10,616 of 72,339 girls' names by recorded births. It was last recorded in 1952. The peak year was 1916 with 25 births.
Where does Helma sit in the SSA name archive?
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Helma ranks #10,616 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 Helma most popular?
Helma was most popular in the 1910s decade with 154 total births. The single peak year was 1916.
Where is Helma most popular?
The top states for the name Helma are Wisconsin (6 births).
How long has the name Helma been used?
Records for Helma go back to 1880, giving 73 years of history through 1952.
What names are similar to Helma?
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Helen, Helena, Helene, Hellen, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.

What to do with Helma's data

  • Helma's decade-level peak was the 1910s (154 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 1950s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
  • Wisconsin records the most Helmas (6 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Wisconsin names

Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.

Keep exploring Helma

Nearby Names Like Helma

Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Helma

Names with a similar number of total births

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Helma: 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, 1880–1952 (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 Helma 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.