Selma
#2,778 for girls in 2025, 61 births · Last seen for boys in 1961 at #4,065
Given to girls 98.8% of the time
- Peak · girls
- 1891 · 206 births
- Debut · girls
- 36 births
- In top 100 · girls
- neverof 146 years
- Total births · girls
- 26,881since 1880
Selma over time
Rank among girls' names. Selma has never cracked the top 100 here.
Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.
Show data table
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | #2,778 | 61 | — | |
| 2024 | #2,775 | 61 | — | |
| 2023 | #2,415 | 74 | — | |
| 2022 | #2,720 | 63 | — | |
| 2021 | #2,715 | 63 | — | |
| 2020 | #2,170 | 83 | — | |
| 2019 | #2,140 | 87 | — | |
| 2018 | #2,302 | 79 | — | |
| 2017 | #2,160 | 88 | — | |
| 2016 | #2,068 | 95 | — | |
| 2015 | #2,152 | 88 | — | |
| 2014 | #1,853 | 109 | — | |
| 2013 | #2,259 | 82 | — | |
| 2012 | #2,516 | 72 | — | |
| 2011 | #2,026 | 96 | — | |
| 2010 | #2,237 | 86 | — | |
| 2009 | #2,244 | 87 | — | |
| 2008 | #2,206 | 90 | — | |
| 2007 | #2,034 | 100 | — | |
| 2006 | #1,939 | 103 | — | |
| 2005 | #1,690 | 117 | — | |
| 2004 | #1,643 | 118 | — | |
| 2003 | #1,896 | 96 | — | |
| 2002 | #2,228 | 74 | — | |
| 2001 | #1,922 | 90 | — | |
| 2000 | #2,034 | 81 | — | |
| 1999 | #2,153 | 70 | — | |
| 1998 | #2,221 | 64 | — | |
| 1997 | #2,423 | 54 | — | |
| 1996 | #2,849 | 42 | — | |
| 1995 | #3,422 | 32 | — | |
| 1994 | #4,521 | 22 | — | |
| 1993 | #5,419 | 17 | — | |
| 1992 | #3,419 | 32 | — | |
| 1991 | #3,540 | 30 | — | |
| 1990 | #3,156 | 35 | — | |
| 1989 | #4,020 | 24 | — | |
| 1988 | #3,585 | 26 | — | |
| 1987 | #4,283 | 19 | — | |
| 1986 | #3,277 | 27 | — | |
| 1985 | #6,031 | 11 | — | |
| 1984 | #3,990 | 19 | — | |
| 1983 | #3,949 | 19 | — | |
| 1982 | #3,172 | 27 | — | |
| 1981 | #3,066 | 28 | — | |
| 1980 | #3,318 | 25 | — | |
| 1979 | #3,903 | 19 | — | |
| 1978 | #3,388 | 22 | — | |
| 1977 | #3,002 | 26 | — | |
| 1976 | #3,407 | 20 | — | |
| 1975 | #3,259 | 21 | — | |
| 1974 | #3,695 | 17 | — | |
| 1973 | #2,689 | 26 | — | |
| 1972 | #2,903 | 23 | — | |
| 1971 | #2,175 | 37 | — | |
| 1970 | #2,043 | 40 | — | |
| 1969 | #2,134 | 35 | — | |
| 1968 | #2,056 | 34 | — | |
| 1967 | #1,848 | 40 | — | |
| 1966 | #1,515 | 54 | — | |
| 1965 | #1,097 | 91 | — | |
| 1964 | #1,419 | 63 | — | |
| 1963 | #1,361 | 66 | — | |
| 1962 | #1,158 | 89 | — | |
| 1961 | #1,005 | 116 | #4,065 | 5 |
| 1960 | #1,126 | 93 | — | |
| 1959 | #1,118 | 91 | — | |
| 1958 | #1,112 | 90 | #3,944 | 5 |
| 1957 | #1,021 | 105 | — | |
| 1956 | #940 | 115 | — | |
| 1955 | #925 | 113 | — | |
| 1954 | #945 | 104 | #2,942 | 8 |
| 1953 | #860 | 118 | — | |
| 1952 | #914 | 102 | #3,734 | 5 |
| 1951 | #813 | 121 | #3,714 | 5 |
| 1950 | #876 | 102 | — | |
| 1949 | #787 | 120 | — | |
| 1948 | #747 | 129 | #3,316 | 6 |
| 1947 | #719 | 140 | — | |
| 1946 | #679 | 138 | #3,525 | 5 |
| 1945 | #737 | 102 | #2,393 | 9 |
| 1944 | #655 | 128 | #3,109 | 6 |
| 1943 | #687 | 122 | — | |
| 1942 | #585 | 159 | — | |
| 1941 | #583 | 144 | #3,505 | 5 |
| 1940 | #565 | 150 | #3,130 | 6 |
| 1939 | #532 | 156 | #2,829 | 7 |
| 1938 | #486 | 188 | #3,175 | 6 |
| 1937 | #436 | 225 | #3,175 | 6 |
| 1936 | #413 | 243 | #2,854 | 7 |
| 1935 | #444 | 212 | #2,719 | 8 |
| 1934 | #400 | 264 | — | |
| 1933 | #371 | 296 | #3,642 | 5 |
| 1932 | #352 | 326 | #2,465 | 10 |
| 1931 | #313 | 420 | #2,207 | 12 |
| 1930 | #272 | 550 | #2,781 | 9 |
| 1929 | #269 | 563 | #3,559 | 6 |
| 1928 | #264 | 598 | #2,522 | 11 |
| 1927 | #253 | 669 | #2,523 | 11 |
| 1926 | #254 | 671 | #2,904 | 9 |
| 1925 | #257 | 668 | #2,755 | 10 |
| 1924 | #246 | 735 | #3,505 | 7 |
| 1923 | #245 | 703 | #3,175 | 8 |
| 1922 | #246 | 692 | #3,014 | 9 |
| 1921 | #251 | 704 | #2,986 | 9 |
| 1920 | #233 | 768 | — | |
| 1919 | #244 | 682 | #2,152 | 14 |
| 1918 | #223 | 798 | #2,260 | 13 |
| 1917 | #216 | 786 | #2,732 | 9 |
| 1916 | #227 | 718 | #2,543 | 10 |
| 1915 | #217 | 741 | #2,184 | 12 |
| 1914 | #214 | 587 | #1,687 | 14 |
| 1913 | #226 | 455 | #2,821 | 5 |
| 1912 | #229 | 387 | #2,269 | 6 |
| 1911 | #221 | 321 | #1,537 | 6 |
| 1910 | #221 | 293 | #1,421 | 6 |
| 1909 | #225 | 250 | #1,277 | 6 |
| 1908 | #210 | 257 | #1,373 | 5 |
| 1907 | #218 | 231 | — | |
| 1906 | #193 | 252 | — | |
| 1905 | #202 | 224 | — | |
| 1904 | #194 | 231 | — | |
| 1903 | #192 | 218 | — | |
| 1902 | #183 | 252 | — | |
| 1901 | #181 | 242 | — | |
| 1900 | #201 | 239 | — | |
| 1899 | #193 | 206 | — | |
| 1898 | #192 | 229 | — | |
| 1897 | #204 | 183 | — | |
| 1896 | #176 | 238 | — | |
| 1895 | #188 | 208 | — | |
| 1894 | #183 | 212 | — | |
| 1893 | #175 | 211 | — | |
| 1892 | #175 | 209 | — | |
| 1891 | #162 | 206 | — | |
| 1890 | #182 | 165 | — | |
| 1889 | #199 | 133 | — | |
| 1888 | #190 | 139 | — | |
| 1887 | #208 | 97 | — | |
| 1886 | #207 | 91 | — | |
| 1885 | #242 | 68 | — | |
| 1884 | #239 | 63 | — | |
| 1883 | #189 | 80 | — | |
| 1882 | #235 | 54 | — | |
| 1881 | #227 | 47 | — | |
| 1880 | #254 | 36 | — | |
In the first year the SSA published name data, Selma was already there! It came in at #254, and was given to 36 baby girls.
Quietest stretch: 1985, when fewer than 12 girls a year got the name.
Where Selma is popular in 1940
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
- Massachusetts#293 · 1 in 4,198
- Louisiana#302 · 1 in 1,800
- Pennsylvania#374 · 1 in 5,357
- Arkansas#377 · 1 in 3,186
- North Carolina#384 · 1 in 4,185
Best ever in a state: #49 in North Dakota, 1910.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | #293 | 7 | 1 in 4,198 |
| Louisiana | #302 | 13 | 1 in 1,800 |
| Pennsylvania | #374 | 14 | 1 in 5,357 |
| Arkansas | #377 | 6 | 1 in 3,186 |
| North Carolina | #384 | 9 | 1 in 4,185 |
| New York | #385 | 18 | 1 in 4,984 |
| Tennessee | #412 | 6 | 1 in 4,695 |
| Mississippi | #457 | 5 | 1 in 4,523 |
| California | #569 | 7 | 1 in 7,132 |
| Illinois | #630 | 5 | 1 in 11,252 |
| Texas | #881 | 5 | 1 in 12,020 |
| Alabama | — | — | — |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| Arizona | — | — | — |
| Colorado | — | — | — |
| Connecticut | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — |
| Florida | — | — | — |
| Georgia | — | — | — |
| Hawaii | — | — | — |
| Idaho | — | — | — |
| Indiana | — | — | — |
| Iowa | — | — | — |
| Kansas | — | — | — |
| Kentucky | — | — | — |
| Maine | — | — | — |
| Maryland | — | — | — |
| Michigan | — | — | — |
| Minnesota | — | — | — |
| Missouri | — | — | — |
| Montana | — | — | — |
| Nebraska | — | — | — |
| Nevada | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire | — | — | — |
| New Jersey | — | — | — |
| New Mexico | — | — | — |
| North Dakota | — | — | — |
| Ohio | — | — | — |
| Oklahoma | — | — | — |
| Oregon | — | — | — |
| Rhode Island | — | — | — |
| South Carolina | — | — | — |
| South Dakota | — | — | — |
| Utah | — | — | — |
| Vermont | — | — | — |
| Virginia | — | — | — |
| Washington | — | — | — |
| West Virginia | — | — | — |
| Wisconsin | — | — | — |
| Wyoming | — | — | — |
Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the girls born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.
See more about Selma
- 3 spots since 2024 (#2,775 → #2,778)
- 608 spots since 2020 (#2,170 → #2,778)
- 626 spots since 2015 (#2,152 → #2,778)
- Biggest jump: 63 spots in 1951 (#876 → #813)
- Biggest drop: 102 spots in 1943 (#585 → #687)
- Debuted 1880
- Peaked 1891 at #162 (206 births)
- Births halved by 1945, 54 yrs later
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: never
- Top 1,000: 77 yrs · run 1880–1956
- Highest: 1 in 900 girls born in 1891 were named Selma (0.11%)
- Latest: 1 in 26,349 girls born in 2025 (0.00%)
- 25.2% of all girls named Selma (6,771) were born in this decade
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 808 | #189 (1883) | #219 |
| 1890s | 2,067 | #162 (1891) | #183 |
| 1900s | 2,396 | #181 (1901) | #200 |
| 1910s | 5,768 | #214 (1914) | #224 |
| 1920s | 6,771 | #233 (1920) | #252 |
| 1930s | 2,880 | #272 (1930) | #402 |
| 1940s | 1,332 | #565 (1940) | #674 |
| 1950s | 1,061 | #813 (1951) | #952 |
| 1960s | 681 | #1,005 (1961) | #1,472 |
| 1970s | 251 | #2,043 (1970) | #3,046 |
| 1980s | 225 | #3,066 (1981) | #3,869 |
| 1990s | 398 | #2,153 (1999) | #3,312 |
| 2000s | 956 | #1,643 (2004) | #1,984 |
| 2010s | 882 | #1,853 (2014) | #2,171 |
| 2020s | 405 | #2,170 (2020) | #2,596 |
All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 girls in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.
Selma in 1940
Top girls' names in 1940
Top boys' names in 1940
More about 1940
girls
1,143,528 girls got a published name in 1940; 1 in 7,624 of them was named Selma, which outranked 88.8% of the 5,028 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.1% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
boys
1,159,172 boys got a published name in 1940; 1 in 193,195 of them was named Selma, which outranked 20.5% of the 3,937 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 33.5% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).
- #2,871Winthrop7
- #2,871Zebedee7
- #2,871Zenon7
- #3,130Selma6
- #3,130Abbie6
- #3,130Abdul6
- #3,130Ad6
- #3,459Abbey5
- #3,459Abron5
- #3,459Abundio5
Tied with 328 names at #3,130; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.