girl's name
Elma
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 4
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 23,464
Scotland
#541
1975 births
Elma is a girl's name with 2 syllables. In 2025 it was given to 32 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
- Peaked in 1918, when 674 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 103,605 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Elma over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 643 |
| 1890s | 1,361 |
| 1900s | 1,945 |
| 1910s | 4,916 |
| 1920s | 5,161 |
| 1930s | 2,893 |
| 1940s | 1,877 |
| 1950s | 1,159 |
| 1960s | 654 |
| 1970s | 329 |
| 1980s | 196 |
| 1990s | 183 |
| 2000s | 411 |
| 2010s | 298 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 160 |
How popular is Elma?
In 2025, Elma was given to 32 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Elma is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Elma
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Elma also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Elma over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Elma in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Elma
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Elma — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Elma
How popular is the name Elma?
In 2025, Elma was given to 32 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Is Elma a girl's or a boy's name?
Elma is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Elma?
Elma has 2 syllables.
When was Elma most popular?
Elma peaked in 1918, when 674 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
Is Elma a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Elma currently ranks #731 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.