Total births
276
Girls' name · since 1915
Telma
Telma has 276 recorded births since 1915 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1976 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #13590
- among girls today
- 276
- born since 1915
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 23%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Telma is the #13590 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 276 recorded since 1915.
Telma has 276 recorded births among girls since 1915, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #13590 as of the latest data, more common than 23% of girls, busiest in the 1970s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1915 to 2025.
- #13590 among girls today
- 276 born since 1915
- 1970s peak decade
- 23% more common than other girls
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
Telma is currently the #13590 girls' name in America, more common than 23% of girls - 276 born since 1915, peaking in the 1970s.
- #13590
- among girls today
- 276
- born since 1915
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 23%
- more common than other girls
Telma vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#13590
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 23% of names given to girls today.
1970s
Peak decade
25% of everyone ever named Telma was born in this single decade.
1976
Single peak year
13 babies were named Telma in 1976 - its busiest year on record.
How Telma compares
276 44th percentile among 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Telma's all-time total is 28% below the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Telma | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 276 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 13 | 48 | 19,840 |
Telma's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Telma splits its recorded history at 1980: 51% of all births land in the more recent half, 49% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1915 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1976 peak of 13 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Telma at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1976
Current rank
#13,590
Active since
1915
Telma popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1915–2025
- Peak year (1976)
- 13
- Annual births at peak, across 111 years of records
Telma by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1970s was Telma's strongest decade.
70 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 25% of all-time use.
Telma births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 5
1910s
5 births
- 1920s 5
1920s
5 births
- 1950s 8
1950s
8 births
- 1960s
1960s
47 births
- 1970s
1970s
70 births
- 1980s
1980s
64 births
- 1990s
1990s
40 births
- 2000s 16
2000s
16 births
- 2010s 8
2010s
8 births
- 2020s 13
2020s
13 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 70 births (25% of all-time use).
Telma by state
Where Telma concentrates geographically, total births since 1915
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 6 | 2.2% |
Texas share of Telma's total US births 2.2%
6 of 276 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Telma? ▼
276 babies have been named Telma since 1915. It currently ranks #13590 among girls. The peak year was 1976 with 13 births.
When was Telma most popular? ▼
Telma was most popular in the 1970s decade with 70 total births. The single peak year was 1976.
Where is Telma most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Telma are Texas (6 births).
How long has the name Telma been used? ▼
Records for Telma go back to 1915, giving 111 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Telma? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Telisha, Telisa, Telia, Tela, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Telma's data
- Telma's decade-level peak was the 1970s (70 total births); usage has since declined to 13 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Telmas (6 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Telma
Nearby Names Like Telma
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Telma
Telisha Girl
1,182 births
Telisa Girl
1,097 births
Telia Girl
709 births
Tela Girl
693 births
Telicia Girl
489 births
Compare Telma side by side: Telma vs Telisha Telma vs Telisa Telma vs Telia
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Telma
Rosalea #13589
680 births · Peak 1926
Victoriana #13591
365 births · Peak 1931
Juan #13588
2,760 births · Peak 1983
Marcelene #13592
930 births · Peak 1928
Dreama #13587
3,114 births · Peak 1958
Lenamae #13593
51 births · Peak 1916
Dorina #13586
968 births · Peak 1969
Hellena #13594
194 births · Peak 2022
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1915–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Telma: #13590 Girls' Name - 276 Births, Peak 1976." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/telma. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 Telma 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 July 2026.