Thelma
Thelma was given to 29 girls in 2025, #4,744 among girls’ names; 226,602 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 38,800 Americans named Thelma and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (17% of everyone recorded); the median is 77 years old and half are between 66 and 86.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Thelma by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Thelma mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Thelma is “a female given name originating as a coinage.” Its etymology gives the sense “The Magic Goblet” (as).
A literary invention, first appeared in the Swedish novel Kyrkoinvigningen i Hammarby (1840-1841) by Emilie Flygare-Carlén, translated into English as “The Magic Goblet” (1845). Similar names of ambiguous origin, Elma, Selma, Velma, appeared in the 19th century. By folk etymology explained as Ancient Greek θέλημα (thélēma, “will”). Notice also the Spanish and Portuguese Telma, a rare feminine form of Telmo, ultimately from Santelmo or Saint Elmo.
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Thelma?
#4,744 among girls’ names, 2025
Thelma rose from #5,112 in 2015 to #4,744 in 2025 among girls’ names; its share of girls born rose from 15.1 to 18.0 per million.
7,871 babies in 1921, the peak
Thelma peaked in 1921, when 7,871 babies were given it (7,839 girls, #30 among girls’ names). The 29 births of 2025 are under 1% of that peak.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 29 | #4,744 | 0.02 |
| 2024 | 33 | #4,375 | 0.02 |
| 2023 | 23 | #5,531 | 0.01 |
| 2022 | 26 | #5,159 | 0.02 |
| 2021 | 32 | #4,399 | 0.02 |
| 2020 | 27 | #4,865 | 0.02 |
| 2019 | 22 | #5,777 | 0.01 |
| 2018 | 27 | #4,993 | 0.02 |
| 2017 | 26 | #5,175 | 0.02 |
| 2016 | 32 | #4,522 | 0.02 |
Every recorded year (143)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 27 | #5,112 | 0.02 |
| 2014 | 25 | #5,439 | 0.01 |
| 2013 | 19 | #6,701 | 0.01 |
| 2012 | 27 | #5,240 | 0.02 |
| 2011 | 14 | #8,580 | 0.01 |
| 2010 | 20 | #6,606 | 0.01 |
| 2009 | 35 | #4,360 | 0.02 |
| 2008 | 30 | #4,997 | 0.02 |
| 2007 | 28 | #5,215 | 0.01 |
| 2006 | 34 | #4,354 | 0.02 |
| 2005 | 42 | #3,575 | 0.02 |
| 2004 | 31 | #4,482 | 0.02 |
| 2003 | 40 | #3,580 | 0.02 |
| 2002 | 31 | #4,169 | 0.02 |
| 2001 | 58 | #2,628 | 0.03 |
| 2000 | 50 | #2,897 | 0.03 |
| 1999 | 48 | #2,847 | 0.03 |
| 1998 | 62 | #2,301 | 0.04 |
| 1997 | 41 | #2,970 | 0.02 |
| 1996 | 48 | #2,623 | 0.03 |
| 1995 | 79 | #1,812 | 0.04 |
| 1994 | 70 | #2,019 | 0.04 |
| 1993 | 72 | #1,960 | 0.04 |
| 1992 | 89 | #1,697 | 0.05 |
| 1991 | 86 | #1,703 | 0.05 |
| 1990 | 92 | #1,628 | 0.05 |
| 1989 | 95 | #1,518 | 0.05 |
| 1988 | 84 | #1,577 | 0.05 |
| 1987 | 92 | #1,431 | 0.05 |
| 1986 | 105 | #1,292 | 0.06 |
| 1985 | 101 | #1,322 | 0.06 |
| 1984 | 122 | #1,132 | 0.07 |
| 1983 | 119 | #1,131 | 0.07 |
| 1982 | 152 | #979 | 0.09 |
| 1981 | 152 | #970 | 0.09 |
| 1980 | 148 | #994 | 0.09 |
| 1979 | 164 | #910 | 0.10 |
| 1978 | 171 | #864 | 0.11 |
| 1977 | 195 | #778 | 0.13 |
| 1976 | 193 | #752 | 0.13 |
| 1975 | 198 | #737 | 0.14 |
| 1974 | 238 | #643 | 0.16 |
| 1973 | 219 | #686 | 0.15 |
| 1972 | 225 | #666 | 0.15 |
| 1971 | 281 | #607 | 0.17 |
| 1970 | 274 | #623 | 0.16 |
| 1969 | 318 | #554 | 0.19 |
| 1968 | 400 | #480 | 0.24 |
| 1967 | 388 | #482 | 0.24 |
| 1966 | 475 | #426 | 0.28 |
| 1965 | 579 | #380 | 0.33 |
| 1964 | 655 | #371 | 0.35 |
| 1963 | 720 | #353 | 0.37 |
| 1962 | 752 | #345 | 0.38 |
| 1961 | 772 | #339 | 0.38 |
| 1960 | 835 | #326 | 0.41 |
| 1959 | 899 | #305 | 0.44 |
| 1958 | 847 | #316 | 0.42 |
| 1957 | 967 | #291 | 0.47 |
| 1956 | 1,078 | #254 | 0.54 |
| 1955 | 1,105 | #246 | 0.57 |
| 1954 | 1,241 | #228 | 0.64 |
| 1953 | 1,295 | #223 | 0.69 |
| 1952 | 1,358 | #209 | 0.73 |
| 1951 | 1,528 | #189 | 0.85 |
| 1950 | 1,458 | #187 | 0.85 |
| 1949 | 1,625 | #172 | 0.95 |
| 1948 | 1,763 | #163 | 1.0 |
| 1947 | 1,902 | #153 | 1.1 |
| 1946 | 1,794 | #150 | 1.1 |
| 1945 | 1,853 | #131 | 1.4 |
| 1944 | 1,997 | #131 | 1.5 |
| 1943 | 2,210 | #127 | 1.6 |
| 1942 | 2,257 | #121 | 1.7 |
| 1941 | 2,367 | #108 | 2.0 |
| 1940 | 2,461 | #101 | 2.2 |
| 1939 | 2,696 | #88 | 2.5 |
| 1938 | 2,866 | #86 | 2.6 |
| 1937 | 3,062 | #78 | 2.9 |
| 1936 | 3,196 | #74 | 3.1 |
| 1935 | 3,190 | #76 | 3.0 |
| 1934 | 3,646 | #65 | 3.5 |
| 1933 | 3,636 | #57 | 3.6 |
| 1932 | 4,272 | #51 | 4.0 |
| 1931 | 4,440 | #53 | 4.2 |
| 1930 | 5,250 | #45 | 4.7 |
| 1929 | 5,476 | #41 | 4.9 |
| 1928 | 5,978 | #40 | 5.2 |
| 1927 | 6,303 | #38 | 5.3 |
| 1926 | 6,585 | #36 | 5.6 |
| 1925 | 6,823 | #35 | 5.6 |
| 1924 | 7,316 | #33 | 5.9 |
| 1923 | 7,379 | #31 | 6.1 |
| 1922 | 7,254 | #31 | 6.0 |
| 1921 | 7,839 | #30 | 6.4 |
| 1920 | 7,814 | #31 | 6.5 |
| 1919 | 7,558 | #31 | 6.7 |
| 1918 | 7,740 | #32 | 6.7 |
| 1917 | 7,245 | #32 | 6.7 |
| 1916 | 7,290 | #29 | 7.0 |
| 1915 | 6,762 | #30 | 6.9 |
| 1914 | 5,496 | #26 | 7.2 |
| 1913 | 4,595 | #26 | 7.4 |
| 1912 | 4,183 | #26 | 7.5 |
| 1911 | 3,166 | #27 | 7.6 |
| 1910 | 2,976 | #25 | 7.5 |
| 1909 | 2,612 | #26 | 7.5 |
| 1908 | 2,526 | #26 | 7.6 |
| 1907 | 2,339 | #28 | 7.3 |
| 1906 | 2,114 | #31 | 7.2 |
| 1905 | 1,945 | #36 | 6.7 |
| 1904 | 1,757 | #37 | 6.4 |
| 1903 | 1,479 | #47 | 5.6 |
| 1902 | 1,309 | #52 | 5.0 |
| 1901 | 1,090 | #57 | 4.6 |
| 1900 | 1,094 | #73 | 3.6 |
| 1899 | 736 | #78 | 3.2 |
| 1898 | 605 | #99 | 2.3 |
| 1897 | 419 | #117 | 1.8 |
| 1896 | 260 | #168 | 1.1 |
| 1895 | 173 | #205 | 0.74 |
| 1894 | 70 | #335 | 0.31 |
| 1893 | 42 | #421 | 0.20 |
| 1892 | 33 | #478 | 0.16 |
| 1891 | 25 | #522 | 0.13 |
| 1890 | 22 | #568 | 0.12 |
| 1889 | 24 | #531 | 0.13 |
| 1888 | 15 | #685 | 0.08 |
| 1887 | 7 | #1,026 | 0.05 |
| 1886 | 12 | #688 | 0.08 |
| 1884 | 7 | #920 | 0.05 |
| 1883 | 6 | #915 | 0.05 |
| 1880 | 5 | #936 | 0.05 |
Ranks and shares: girls’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all girls SSA recorded that year.
Is Thelma a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Thelma has been given almost only to girls: 1,142 boys in 143 years of records.
Girls and boys named Thelma: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Thelma, and how old are they?
38,800 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 17% of the 226,602 Americans ever recorded as Thelma. The median Thelma alive today is 77 years old; half are between 66 and 86.
The 2020 Census counted 53,801 people named Thelma (53,702 women and girls, 99 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 55,640 born in the U.S. The Census count is 3% below that prediction.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 14,500 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 17,000 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 4,110 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 1,510 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 584 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 346 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Thelma born?
The states with the most babies named Thelma are Pennsylvania, Texas and North Carolina, with 18% of its births recorded by state since 1910.
| State | Since 1910 | Rank, girls | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 13,530 | not ranked | 0.8× |
| Texas | 12,910 | not ranked | 1.1× |
| North Carolina | 10,148 | not ranked | 1.4× |
| Ohio | 9,885 | not ranked | 0.9× |
| Kentucky | 9,391 | not ranked | 1.7× |
| Virginia | 9,281 | not ranked | 1.7× |
| Georgia | 9,121 | not ranked | 1.4× |
| New York | 8,936 | not ranked | 0.5× |
| Tennessee | 8,070 | not ranked | 1.5× |
| South Carolina | 7,004 | not ranked | 1.6× |
Where Thelma is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Thelma is most over-represented in Virginia: since 1910 it was given 1.7 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among girls’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Thelma with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Thelma
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about Thelma and names like it
- Compare Thelma and MaurineBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 1920sThelma peaked in 1921.
- Pennsylvania’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Thelma since 1910.
- Coined namesWiktionary’s origin for Thelma: every such name, by how often it is given.
- The top names of 1921The year the most babies were named Thelma.
- The names of the Baby BoomersMost people named Thelma alive today were born 1946-1964.
- Names starting with TMost given first.