Total births
16,824
Girls' name · since 1880
Zelma
Zelma has 16,824 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1919 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #6643
- among girls today
- 16,824
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 63%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Zelma is the #6643 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 16,824 recorded since 1880.
Zelma has 16,824 recorded births among girls since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #6643 as of the latest data, more common than 63% 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.
- #6643 among girls today
- 16,824 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 63% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Zelma is currently the #6643 girls' name in America, more common than 63% of girls - 16,824 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #6643
- among girls today
- 16,824
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 63%
- more common than other girls
Zelma vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#6643
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 63% of names given to girls today.
1920s
Peak decade
24% of everyone ever named Zelma was born in this single decade.
1919
Single peak year
488 babies were named Zelma in 1919 - its busiest year on record.
How Zelma compares
16,824 Top 6% higher than 94% 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
Zelma's all-time total is 44x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Zelma | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 16,824 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 488 | 48 | 19,840 |
Zelma's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Zelma splits its recorded history at 1949: 12% of all births land in the more recent half, 88% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1997 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1919 peak of 488 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Zelma at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1919
Current rank
#6,643
Active since
1880
Zelma popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1919)
- 488
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Zelma popularity over time - boys
112 total births recorded since 1888 (Zelma as boys' name)
Zelma by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Zelma's strongest decade.
4,111 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 24% of all-time use.
Zelma births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 259
1880s
259 births
- 1890s 795
1890s
795 births
- 1900s
1900s
1,821 births
- 1910s
1910s
3,899 births
- 1920s
1920s
4,111 births
- 1930s
1930s
2,446 births
- 1940s 1,570
1940s
1,570 births
- 1950s 986
1950s
986 births
- 1960s 427
1960s
427 births
- 1970s 163
1970s
163 births
- 1980s 78
1980s
78 births
- 1990s 51
1990s
51 births
- 2000s 45
2000s
45 births
- 2010s 92
2010s
92 births
- 2020s 81
2020s
81 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 4,111 births (24% of all-time use).
How Zelma 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 Zelma's total volume
Zelma vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Zelma by state
Where Zelma concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 1,425 | 8.5% |
| #2 | Kentucky | | 913 | 5.4% |
| #3 | Oklahoma | | 737 | 4.4% |
| #4 | Tennessee | | 693 | 4.1% |
| #5 | Missouri | | 667 | 4.0% |
| #6 | Arkansas | | 653 | 3.9% |
| #7 | North Carolina | | 612 | 3.6% |
| #8 | Georgia | | 498 | 3.0% |
Texas share of Zelma's total US births 8.5%
Even split
1,425 of 16,824 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 34 reporting states.
Zelma appears in 34 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Zelma? ▼
16,824 babies have been named Zelma since 1880. It currently ranks #6643 among girls. The peak year was 1919 with 488 births.
When was Zelma most popular? ▼
Zelma was most popular in the 1920s decade with 4,111 total births. The single peak year was 1919.
Where is Zelma most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Zelma are Texas (1,425 births), Kentucky (913 births), Oklahoma (737 births).
How long has the name Zelma been used? ▼
Records for Zelma go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Zelma? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Zelda, Zella, Zelie, Zelia, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Zelma's data
- Zelma's decade-level peak was the 1920s (4,111 total births); usage has since declined to 81 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Zelmas (1,425 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 Zelma
Nearby Names Like Zelma
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Zelma
Zelda Girl
#747 16,734 births
Zella Girl
#1840 13,369 births
Zelie Girl
#1822 1,264 births
Zelia Girl
#5447 1,177 births
Zelpha Girl
956 births
Compare Zelma side by side: Zelma vs Zelda Zelma vs Zella Zelma vs Zelie
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Zelma
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. "Zelma: #6643 Girls' Name - 16,824 Births, Peak 1919." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/zelma. 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 Zelma 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.