Where does the name Thelma come from?

Thelma is a girl name of Ancient Greek origin.

Is Thelma a boy or a girl name?

Thelma is used for both. In U.S. Social Security records, about 99% of children given the name Thelma are girls and 1% are boys.

How popular is the name Thelma in 2023?

Thelma ranks #5536 for girls in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1921 with 7,871 babies.

How do you pronounce Thelma?

Thelma is pronounced THEL-ma (2 syllables).

What are common spellings of Thelma?

Thelma is also written as Telma.

A name from Ancient Greek · Girl

Thelma

Probably coined — or first widely used — by the British novelist Marie Corelli in her 1887 bestseller Thelma. Sometimes connected to Greek thelēma meaning 'will' or 'wish'.

Compare

Popularity over time

A 143-year arc in numbers.

225,398 U.S. births recorded from 1880–2023.

Popularity · 1880–2023

23 births in 2023

1880 1951 2023

Babies named per year Peak year Most recent

Meaning

A name that means something.

TProbably coined — or first widely used — by the British novelist Marie Corelli in her 1887 bestseller Thelma. Sometimes connected to Greek thelēma meaning 'will' or 'wish'.

Variants & spellings

1 ways to spell "Thelma".

Each transliteration carries a slightly different cultural fingerprint.

Telma Most common

Famous bearers

People who carry the name Thelma.

T
Thelma & Louise (Geena Davis / Susan Sarandon film)
T
Thelma Houston (singer)

Quick answers

People often ask about Thelma.

What does the name Thelma mean?: Thelma means probably coined — or first widely used — by the British novelist Marie Corelli in her 1887 bestseller Thelma. Sometimes connected to Greek thelēma meaning 'will' or 'wish'.
Where does the name Thelma come from?: Thelma is a girl name of Ancient Greek origin.
Is Thelma a boy or a girl name?: Thelma is used for both. In U.S. Social Security records, about 99% of children given the name Thelma are girls and 1% are boys.
How popular is the name Thelma in 2023?: Thelma ranks #5536 for girls in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1921 with 7,871 babies.
How do you pronounce Thelma?: Thelma is pronounced THEL-ma (2 syllables).
What are common spellings of Thelma?: Thelma is also written as Telma.

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About this page

Popularity counts come from the U.S. Social Security Administration's national dataset. Meanings and origins are curated from etymological sources. If you spot an error, please let us know.