girl's name
Zelma
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Rare
- Births on record 16,946
Zelma is a girl's name with 2 syllables. In 2025 it was given to 16 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
- Peaked in 1919, when 494 babies were given the name.
- After peaking in the 1910s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
- Today about 1 in 207,211 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Zelma 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 | 264 |
| 1890s | 795 |
| 1900s | 1,827 |
| 1910s | 3,933 |
| 1920s | 4,149 |
| 1930s | 2,469 |
| 1940s | 1,576 |
| 1950s | 986 |
| 1960s | 427 |
| 1970s | 163 |
| 1980s | 78 |
| 1990s | 51 |
| 2000s | 45 |
| 2010s | 92 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 81 |
How popular is Zelma?
In 2025, Zelma was given to 16 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
Where Zelma 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 Zelma
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Zelma also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Zelma over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Sibling names for Zelma
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Zelma — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Zelma
How popular is the name Zelma?
In 2025, Zelma was given to 16 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
Is Zelma a girl's or a boy's name?
Zelma is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Zelma?
Zelma has 2 syllables.
When was Zelma most popular?
Zelma peaked in 1919, when 494 babies were given the name. After peaking in the 1910s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
Is Zelma a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Zelma currently ranks #6,945 in the United States. After peaking in the 1910s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.