Total births
140,101
Girls' name · since 1880
Wilma
Wilma has 140,101 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1925 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #3967
- among girls today
- 140,101
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 78%
- more common than other girls
Wilma currently ranks #3967 among girls' names in America, with 140,101 babies recorded since 1880.
Wilma has 140,101 recorded births among girls since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #3967 as of the latest data, more common than 78% of girls, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #3967 among girls today
- 140,101 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 78% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Wilma is currently the #3967 girls' name in America, more common than 78% of girls - 140,101 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #3967
- among girls today
- 140,101
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 78%
- more common than other girls
Wilma vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#3967
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 78% of names given to girls today.
1920s
Peak decade
28% of everyone ever named Wilma was born in this single decade.
1925
Single peak year
4,175 babies were named Wilma in 1925 - its busiest year on record.
How Wilma compares
140,101 Top 2% higher than 98% 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
Wilma's all-time total is 367x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Wilma | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 140,101 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 4,175 | 48 | 19,840 |
Wilma's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Wilma splits its recorded history at 1953: 11% of all births land in the more recent half, 89% 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 1925 peak of 4,175 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Wilma at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1925
Current rank
#3,967
Active since
1880
Wilma popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1925)
- 4,175
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Wilma popularity over time - boys
754 total births recorded since 1908 (Wilma as boys' name)
Wilma by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Wilma's strongest decade.
39,127 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 28% of all-time use.
Wilma births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 212
1880s
212 births
- 1890s 1,109
1890s
1,109 births
- 1900s 4,012
1900s
4,012 births
- 1910s
1910s
21,384 births
- 1920s
1920s
39,127 births
- 1930s
1930s
33,188 births
- 1940s
1940s
21,192 births
- 1950s 12,276
1950s
12,276 births
- 1960s 4,526
1960s
4,526 births
- 1970s 1,239
1970s
1,239 births
- 1980s 609
1980s
609 births
- 1990s 418
1990s
418 births
- 2000s 285
2000s
285 births
- 2010s 300
2010s
300 births
- 2020s 224
2020s
224 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 39,127 births (28% of all-time use).
How Wilma 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 Wilma's total volume
Wilma vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Wilma by state
Where Wilma concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Ohio | | 8,612 | 6.1% |
| #2 | Missouri | | 8,392 | 6.0% |
| #3 | Kentucky | | 8,147 | 5.8% |
| #4 | Tennessee | | 7,973 | 5.7% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 7,576 | 5.4% |
| #6 | Texas | | 7,012 | 5.0% |
| #7 | Indiana | | 7,004 | 5.0% |
| #8 | Oklahoma | | 6,250 | 4.5% |
Ohio share of Wilma's total US births 6.1%
Even split
8,612 of 140,101 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 50 reporting states.
Wilma appears in 50 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Wilma? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 140,101 babies named Wilma. Today it holds rank #3967 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1925, with 4,175 births.
When was Wilma most popular? ▼
Wilma was most popular in the 1920s decade with 39,127 total births. The single peak year was 1925.
Where is Wilma most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Wilma are Ohio (8,612 births), Missouri (8,392 births), Kentucky (8,147 births).
How long has the name Wilma been used? ▼
Records for Wilma go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Wilma? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Willie, Willow, Willa, William, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Wilma's data
- Wilma's decade-level peak was the 1920s (39,127 total births); usage has since declined to 224 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Ohio records the most Wilmas (8,612 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Ohio 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 Wilma
Nearby Names Like Wilma
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Wilma
Willie Girl
#13478 146,197 births
Willow Girl
#41 65,095 births
Willa Girl
#423 32,824 births
William Girl
#10275 16,029 births
Wilhelmina Girl
#1796 13,094 births
Compare Wilma side by side: Wilma vs Willie Wilma vs Willow Wilma vs Willa
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Wilma
Corrie #3966
8,567 births · Peak 1977
Corinna #3968
7,110 births · Peak 1970
Nevada #3965
3,190 births · Peak 2003
Matilde #3969
3,220 births · Peak 1927
Celestine #3964
9,809 births · Peak 1952
Janey #3970
5,044 births · Peak 1947
Frieda #3963
25,506 births · Peak 1916
Georgette #3971
13,462 births · Peak 1948
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. "Wilma: #3967 Girls' Name - 140,101 Births, Peak 1925." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/wilma. 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 Wilma 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.