Girls' name · since 1907
Nelma
Nelma has 1,229 recorded births since 1907 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1926 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #6,504 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 1,229
- born since 1907
- 1920s
- peak decade
Nelma is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 1,229 have been recorded since 1907.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Nelma has been recorded 1,229 times among girls since 1907, though it is not among the currently most-used girls names, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1907 to 1960.
- #6,504 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 1,229 born since 1907
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Nelma ranks #6,504 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 1,229 born since 1907, peaking in the 1920s.
- #6,504 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 1,229
- born since 1907
- 1920s
- peak decade
Nelma's 1,229 recorded births place it above 91% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
12 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Texas.
Nelma's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Nelma's full recorded timeline at 1933, 42% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 58% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1907, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1926 peak of 50 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Nelma popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1907–1960
- Peak year (1926)
- 50
- Annual births at peak, across 54 years of records
Nelma by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (415 births, 34% of the file).
1920s was Nelma's strongest decade.
415 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 34% of all-time use.
Nelma births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1900s 10
1900s
10 births
- 1910s
1910s
184 births
- 1920s
1920s
415 births
- 1930s
1930s
336 births
- 1940s
1940s
195 births
- 1950s 82
1950s
82 births
- 1960s 7
1960s
7 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 415 births (34% of all-time use).
How Nelma 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 Nelma's total volume
Nelma by state
Where Nelma concentrates geographically, total births since 1907
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 127 | 10.3% |
| #2 | West Virginia | | 16 | 1.3% |
| #3 | Alabama | | 13 | 1.1% |
| #4 | Arkansas | | 11 | 0.9% |
| #5 | Kentucky | | 10 | 0.8% |
| #6 | Tennessee | | 10 | 0.8% |
| #7 | Louisiana | | 6 | 0.5% |
| #8 | Georgia | | 5 | 0.4% |
127 of 1,229 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 12 reporting states.
Nelma appears in 12 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Nelma? ▼
Where does Nelma sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Nelma most popular? ▼
Where is Nelma most popular? ▼
How long has the name Nelma been used? ▼
What names are similar to Nelma? ▼
What to do with Nelma's data
- Nelma's decade-level peak was the 1920s (415 total births); usage has since declined to 7 in the 1960s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Nelmas (127 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 Nelma
Nearby Names Like Nelma
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Nelma
Compare Nelma side by side: Nelma vs Nellie Nelma vs Nell Nelma vs Nelda
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Nelma: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1926)
Similar record span (~53 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, 1907–1960 (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 Nelma 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.