Thelma
Girl name · #4665 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Thelma? In official American birth records, Thelma has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Thelma is currently the #4665 girl name in the United States — 29 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #4981, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 62,069 girls born in 2025 was named Thelma.
Babies named Thelma per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 145-year story
Thelma first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1921, when 7,839 girls were named Thelma — good for #30 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Thelma against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Thelma in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Thelma is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Thelma will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Thelma is most common
State-level data for Thelma is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Thelma
Statistically, parents drawn to Thelma tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Wilma, Bertha, Elma, Irma, and Rowena.
WilmaBerthaElmaIrmaRowenaVernaEugeniaJuanita
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Thelma | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 29 | #4661 |
| 2024 | 33 | #4294 |
| 2023 | 23 | #5390 |
| 2022 | 26 | #5028 |
| 2021 | 32 | #4326 |
| 2020 | 27 | #4757 |
| 2019 | 22 | #5612 |
| 2018 | 27 | #4889 |
| 2017 | 26 | #5045 |
| 2016 | 32 | #4423 |
| 2015 | 27 | #4981 |
| 2014 | 25 | #5310 |
| 2013 | 19 | #6462 |
| 2012 | 27 | #5114 |
| 2011 | 14 | #8196 |
| 2010 | 20 | #6382 |
| 2009 | 35 | #4269 |
| 2008 | 30 | #4882 |
| 2007 | 28 | #5097 |
| 2006 | 34 | #4265 |
| 2005 | 42 | #3509 |
| 2004 | 31 | #4387 |
| 2003 | 40 | #3532 |
| 2002 | 31 | #4071 |
| 2001 | 58 | #2600 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Thelma?
In official American birth records, the name Thelma first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 5 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Thelma a popular girl name?
Thelma ranked #4665 among girls in 2025 with 29 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #4981.
When was the name Thelma most popular?
Thelma peaked in 1921, when 7,839 American girls received the name (ranked #30 that year). Since 1921 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Thelma?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 62,069 newborn American girls was named Thelma. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.