Where does the name Wilma come from?

Wilma is a girl name of Germanic origin.

Is Wilma a boy or a girl name?

Wilma is overwhelmingly a girl name in the United States. Of the 140,023 U.S. babies recorded with this name, more than 99% are girls.

How popular is the name Wilma in 2023?

Wilma ranks #4269 for girls in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1925 with 4,175 babies.

How do you pronounce Wilma?

Wilma is pronounced WIL-ma (2 syllables).

What are common spellings of Wilma?

Wilma is also written as Vilma, Willma.

A name from Germanic · Girl

Wilma

Short form of Wilhelmina, the feminine of Wilhelm (William) — from Germanic wil ('will') + helm ('helmet, protection'); 'resolute protector'. Popular in early-20th-century America and Germany.

Compare

Popularity over time

A 143-year arc in numbers.

140,023 U.S. births recorded from 1880–2023.

Popularity · 1880–2023

34 births in 2023

1880 1951 2023

Babies named per year Peak year Most recent

Meaning

A name that means something.

WShort form of Wilhelmina, the feminine of Wilhelm (William) — from Germanic wil ('will') + helm ('helmet, protection'); 'resolute protector'. Popular in early-20th-century America and Germany.

Variants & spellings

2 ways to spell "Wilma".

Each transliteration carries a slightly different cultural fingerprint.

Vilma Most common Willma

Famous bearers

People who carry the name Wilma.

W
Wilma Rudolph (Olympic sprinter)
W
Wilma Flintstone (The Flintstones)
W
Wilma Mankiller (Cherokee chief)

Quick answers

People often ask about Wilma.

What does the name Wilma mean?: Wilma means short form of Wilhelmina, the feminine of Wilhelm (William) — from Germanic wil ('will') + helm ('helmet, protection'); 'resolute protector'. Popular in early-20th-century America and Germany.
Where does the name Wilma come from?: Wilma is a girl name of Germanic origin.
Is Wilma a boy or a girl name?: Wilma is overwhelmingly a girl name in the United States. Of the 140,023 U.S. babies recorded with this name, more than 99% are girls.
How popular is the name Wilma in 2023?: Wilma ranks #4269 for girls in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1925 with 4,175 babies.
How do you pronounce Wilma?: Wilma is pronounced WIL-ma (2 syllables).
What are common spellings of Wilma?: Wilma is also written as Vilma, Willma.

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From Old High German Ricohard — rīc, "ruler, power," + hard, "brave, strong" — i

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Walter

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From Old High German Walthari — wald, "rule," + hari, "army" — i

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.