Thelma
Coined by Marie Corelli for her 1887 novel Thelma; sometimes read as Greek thelema, “will.”
1921peak year
No. 25best rank (1910)
226,602babies since 1880
—outside top 1000 in 2025
Popularity, 1880–2025
Thelma appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American girls in every year from 1898 to 1939. Its biggest year was 1921, when 7,839 newborn girls received the name, ranking it No. 30 nationally. Its best ranking came in 1910, at No. 25. All told, 226,602 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Explore Thelma interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 76 | No. 516 |
| 1890s | 2,385 | No. 78 |
| 1900s | 18,265 | No. 26 |
| 1910s | 57,011 | No. 25 |
| 1920s | 68,767 | No. 30 |
| 1930s | 36,254 | No. 45 |
| 1940s | 20,229 | No. 101 |
| 1950s | 11,776 | No. 187 |
| 1960s | 5,894 | No. 326 |
| 1970s | 2,158 | No. 606 |
| 1980s | 1,170 | No. 964 |
| 1990s | 687 | No. 1617 |
| 2000s | 379 | No. 2600 |
| 2010s | 239 | No. 4423 |
| 2020s | 170 | No. 4294 |
Births and rank shown for girls, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.