Thelma
Entered English use through Marie Corelli's 1887 novel of that title; the name is often linked to the Greek thelema, will or wish.
Thelma in 2025
Thelma was given to 29 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 8,227th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 114,322 babies born.
The history of Thelma
Thelma reached its highest point in 1921, when 7,871 babies were given the name, ranking 54th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 35th, in 1909.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 226,602 babies have been named Thelma. Half of them were born before 1924, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Greatest Generation.
Thelma by decade
| Decade | Babies named Thelma | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 76 | 883 |
| 1890s | 2,396 | 106 |
| 1900s | 18,344 | 35 |
| 1910s | 57,284 | 35 |
| 1920s | 69,101 | 54 |
| 1930s | 36,530 | 88 |
| 1940s | 20,333 | 187 |
| 1950s | 11,812 | 359 |
| 1960s | 5,923 | 598 |
| 1970s | 2,158 | 1,068 |
| 1980s | 1,170 | 1,636 |
| 1990s | 687 | 2,698 |
| 2000s | 379 | 4,467 |
| 2010s | 239 | 7,771 |
| 2020s | 170 | 7,578 |
Where Thelma is heading
Thelma has risen 7% over the past decade, from 27 babies in 2015 to 29 in 2025.
That is less than 5% of its 1921 peak — Thelma is now a rare name in the United States.
Names like Thelma
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Thelma.