Velma
Appeared in nineteenth-century America and is generally explained as an altered form of Wilhelmina, from the Germanic elements will, desire, and helm, helmet.
Velma in 2025
Velma was given to 21 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 10,251st most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 157,873 babies born.
The history of Velma
Velma reached its highest point in 1921, when 2,613 babies were given the name, ranking 183rd that year. Its best-ever ranking was 122nd, in 1907.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 87,202 babies have been named Velma. Half of them were born before 1926, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Greatest Generation.
Velma by decade
| Decade | Babies named Velma | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 358 | 468 |
| 1890s | 2,099 | 199 |
| 1900s | 6,589 | 122 |
| 1910s | 18,743 | 122 |
| 1920s | 23,020 | 183 |
| 1930s | 14,359 | 227 |
| 1940s | 9,310 | 351 |
| 1950s | 6,876 | 489 |
| 1960s | 3,696 | 723 |
| 1970s | 1,134 | 1,371 |
| 1980s | 512 | 2,396 |
| 1990s | 191 | 4,736 |
| 2000s | 97 | 12,593 |
| 2010s | 107 | 10,245 |
| 2020s | 111 | 9,149 |
Where Velma is heading
Velma has risen 250% over the past decade, from 6 babies in 2015 to 21 in 2025.
That is less than 5% of its 1921 peak — Velma is now a rare name in the United States.
Names like Velma
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Velma.