Total births
225,460
Girls' name · since 1880
Thelma
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 225,460 babies named Thelma, peaking in 1921. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #4299
- among girls today
- 225,460
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 76%
- more common than other girls
225,460 babies have been named Thelma since 1880, making it today's #4299 girls' name.
Social Security Administration records show Thelma recorded 225,460 times among girls since 1880, holding rank #4299 nationally today, ahead of 76% of girls, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #4299 among girls today
- 225,460 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 76% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Thelma is currently the #4299 girls' name in America, more common than 76% of girls - 225,460 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #4299
- among girls today
- 225,460
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 76%
- more common than other girls
Thelma vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#4299
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 76% of names given to girls today.
1920s
Peak decade
31% of everyone ever named Thelma was born in this single decade.
1921
Single peak year
7,839 babies were named Thelma in 1921 - its busiest year on record.
How Thelma compares
225,460 Top 1% higher than 99% of 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
Thelma's all-time total is 590x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Thelma | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 225,460 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 7,839 | 48 | 19,840 |
Thelma's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Thelma splits its recorded history at 1954: 7% of all births land in the more recent half, 93% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1880 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1921 peak of 7,839 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Thelma at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1921
Current rank
#4,299
Active since
1880
Thelma popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1921)
- 7,839
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Thelma popularity over time - boys
1,142 total births recorded since 1896 (Thelma as boys' name)
Thelma by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Thelma's strongest decade.
68,767 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 31% of all-time use.
Thelma births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 76
1880s
76 births
- 1890s 2,385
1890s
2,385 births
- 1900s 18,265
1900s
18,265 births
- 1910s
1910s
57,011 births
- 1920s
1920s
68,767 births
- 1930s
1930s
36,254 births
- 1940s 20,229
1940s
20,229 births
- 1950s 11,776
1950s
11,776 births
- 1960s 5,894
1960s
5,894 births
- 1970s 2,158
1970s
2,158 births
- 1980s 1,170
1980s
1,170 births
- 1990s 687
1990s
687 births
- 2000s 379
2000s
379 births
- 2010s 239
2010s
239 births
- 2020s 170
2020s
170 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 68,767 births (31% of all-time use).
How Thelma 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 Thelma's total volume
Thelma vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Thelma by state
Where Thelma concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Pennsylvania | | 13,530 | 6.0% |
| #2 | Texas | | 12,891 | 5.7% |
| #3 | North Carolina | | 10,118 | 4.5% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 9,885 | 4.4% |
| #5 | Kentucky | | 9,391 | 4.2% |
| #6 | Virginia | | 9,271 | 4.1% |
| #7 | Georgia | | 9,090 | 4.0% |
| #8 | New York | | 8,936 | 4.0% |
Pennsylvania share of Thelma's total US births 6.0%
Even split
13,530 of 225,460 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Thelma appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Thelma? ▼
Thelma has been given to 225,460 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #4299 as of the latest data. 7,839 babies were born in 1921, its single highest year.
When was Thelma most popular? ▼
Thelma was most popular in the 1920s decade with 68,767 total births. The single peak year was 1921.
Where is Thelma most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Thelma are Pennsylvania (13,530 births), Texas (12,891 births), North Carolina (10,118 births).
How long has the name Thelma been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Thelma since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Thelma? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Theresa, Therese, Thea, Theodora, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Thelma's data
- Thelma's decade-level peak was the 1920s (68,767 total births); usage has since declined to 170 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Pennsylvania records the most Thelmas (13,530 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Pennsylvania 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 Thelma
Nearby Names Like Thelma
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Thelma
Theresa Girl
#1492 404,613 births
Therese Girl
#2180 35,590 births
Thea Girl
#349 20,113 births
Theodora Girl
#811 12,654 births
Theda Girl
6,556 births
Compare Thelma side by side: Thelma vs Theresa Thelma vs Therese Thelma vs Thea
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Thelma
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Thelma: #4299 Girls' Name - 225,460 Births, Peak 1921." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/thelma. 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 Thelma 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 June 2026.