Velma

#5,722 for girls in 2025, 21 births · Last seen for boys in 1955 at #2,558
Given to girls 99.5% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · girls
1912 · 1,403 births
Debut · girls
16 births
In top 100 · girls
14 yrs
of 146 years
Total births · girls
86,752
since 1880

Velma over time

girls

Rank among girls' names. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100#1,000#10,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201925peak #88, 1912girls
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#5,72221—
2024#7,96713—
2023#5,54922—
2022#5,17225—
2021#7,25015—
2020#7,21215—
2019#7,71614—
2018#5,78521—
2017#11,6158—
2016#12,8767—
2015#14,4826—
2014#8,48513—
2013#11,0009—
2012#16,8695—
2011#7,78315—
2010#11,2469—
2009#10,67910—
2008#15,4056—
2007#17,6365—
2006#11,4179—
2005#13,0107—
2004#7,82814—
2003#9,04811—
2002#7,44414—
2001#10,1029—
2000#8,02712—
1999#7,71612—
1998#6,07316—
1997#7,74211—
1996#7,13012—
1995#6,64113—
1994#5,01619—
1993#4,82620—
1992#6,00815—
1991#2,88640—
1990#3,29733—
1989#3,25332—
1988#2,80337—
1987#2,49341—
1986#2,34443—
1985#2,70435—
1984#2,01850—
1983#1,88755—
1982#1,85058—
1981#1,45583—
1980#1,51878—
1979#1,50378—
1978#1,39783—
1977#1,45176—
1976#1,19195—
1975#1,22993—
1974#1,070110—
1973#933131—
1972#993120—
1971#828167—
1970#781181—
1969#731191—
1968#651222—
1967#577273—
1966#546299—
1965#499362—
1964#487395—
1963#478407—
1962#445464—
1961#428524—
1960#406559—
1959#400550—
1958#416502—
1957#352668—
1956#332692—
1955#338634#2,55810
1954#309749#3,8275
1953#304737—
1952#300706—
1951#277798—
1950#267825—
1949#272798#3,2986
1948#254871—
1947#259848—
1946#242875#3,1736
1945#223861#2,7437
1944#211935#2,19511
1943#2011,046—
1942#1961,052—
1941#1881,000—
1940#188986#2,6718
1939#1781,068#3,4805
1938#1741,160#2,32610
1937#1641,218#3,5185
1936#1671,180#2,18411
1935#1471,352#2,02913
1934#1441,426#2,5639
1933#1371,481#2,7388
1932#1331,689#1,46523
1931#1311,758#2,47110
1930#1271,918#1,96415
1929#1281,930#2,09614
1928#1142,290#2,27013
1927#1182,285#2,52311
1926#1242,120#1,84618
1925#1282,177#1,62822
1924#1232,272#1,77620
1923#1162,337#2,44612
1922#1132,367#2,80110
1921#1082,606#3,5177
1920#1052,491#1,88518
1919#1042,341#1,57622
1918#1032,439#2,26013
1917#982,411#2,42311
1916#992,319#2,38911
1915#942,287#2,18412
1914#921,795#2,4578
1913#891,556#1,44114
1912#881,403#2,5445
1911#901,045#1,2908
1910#901,035#1,1938
1909#92857#1,0838
1908#90860#1,2176
1907#90854#1,2006
1906#94721—
1905#94722—
1904#101615#1,0646
1903#99589—
1902#113526—
1901#130388#1,0585
1900#141426—
1899#139334—
1898#152331—
1897#160280—
1896#174249—
1895#188208—
1894#189196—
1893#201156—
1892#212146—
1891#236103—
1890#25496—
1889#28172—
1888#28667—
1887#27459—
1886#37133—
1885#35432—
1884#47918—
1883#36625—
1882#44617—
1881#38419—
1880#42116—
First appearance
1880

In the first year the SSA published name data, Velma was already there! It came in at #421, and was given to 16 baby girls.


Quietest stretch: 2007–2008, when fewer than 7 girls a year got the name.

Where Velma is popular in 1925

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Velma, so not publishedAKMaine: #104 for girls · 16 births · 1 in 412 girlsMEVermont: #98 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 373 girlsVTNew Hampshire: #135 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 692 girlsNHWashington: #113 for girls · 20 births · 1 in 490 girlsWAIdaho: #67 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 241 girlsIDMontana: #113 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 481 girlsMTNorth Dakota: #138 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 617 girlsNDMinnesota: #178 for girls · 17 births · 1 in 1,285 girlsMNIllinois: #119 for girls · 102 births · 1 in 589 girlsILWisconsin: #206 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 1,728 girlsWIMichigan: #127 for girls · 60 births · 1 in 682 girlsMINew York: #293 for girls · 32 births · 1 in 3,127 girlsNYMassachusetts: #356 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 5,886 girlsMARhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Velma, so not publishedRIOregon: #64 for girls · 25 births · 1 in 238 girlsORNevada: fewer than 5 girls named Velma, so not publishedNVWyoming: #51 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 183 girlsWYSouth Dakota: #100 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 396 girlsSDIowa: #75 for girls · 72 births · 1 in 291 girlsIAIndiana: #84 for girls · 73 births · 1 in 368 girlsINOhio: #123 for girls · 89 births · 1 in 620 girlsOHPennsylvania: #179 for girls · 74 births · 1 in 1,281 girlsPANew Jersey: #364 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 6,222 girlsNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 girls named Velma, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #147 for girls · 53 births · 1 in 696 girlsCAUtah: #131 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 497 girlsUTColorado: #67 for girls · 33 births · 1 in 266 girlsCONebraska: #58 for girls · 49 births · 1 in 242 girlsNEMissouri: #55 for girls · 128 births · 1 in 244 girlsMOKentucky: #103 for girls · 68 births · 1 in 441 girlsKYWest Virginia: #93 for girls · 55 births · 1 in 374 girlsWVVirginia: #139 for girls · 40 births · 1 in 694 girlsVAMaryland: #164 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 1,003 girlsMDDelaware: fewer than 5 girls named Velma, so not publishedDEArizona: #151 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 556 girlsAZNew Mexico: #189 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 729 girlsNMKansas: #53 for girls · 73 births · 1 in 218 girlsKSArkansas: #47 for girls · 114 births · 1 in 191 girlsARTennessee: #88 for girls · 81 births · 1 in 359 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #133 for girls · 66 births · 1 in 602 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #168 for girls · 25 births · 1 in 961 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Velma, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #47 for girls · 125 births · 1 in 207 girlsOKLouisiana: #67 for girls · 97 births · 1 in 245 girlsLAMississippi: #72 for girls · 84 births · 1 in 276 girlsMSAlabama: #83 for girls · 96 births · 1 in 344 girlsALGeorgia: #138 for girls · 56 births · 1 in 622 girlsGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Velma, so not publishedHITexas: #70 for girls · 197 births · 1 in 313 girlsTXFlorida: #171 for girls · 18 births · 1 in 830 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Arkansas#47 · 1 in 191
  2. Oklahoma#47 · 1 in 207
  3. Wyoming#51 · 1 in 183
  4. Kansas#53 · 1 in 218
  5. Missouri#55 · 1 in 244

Best ever in a state: #12 in Kansas, 1910.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Arkansas#471141 in 191
Oklahoma#471251 in 207
Wyoming#5191 in 183
Kansas#53731 in 218
Missouri#551281 in 244
Nebraska#58491 in 242
Oregon#64251 in 238
Colorado#67331 in 266
Idaho#67151 in 241
Louisiana#67971 in 245
Texas#701971 in 313
Mississippi#72841 in 276
Iowa#75721 in 291
Alabama#83961 in 344
Indiana#84731 in 368
Tennessee#88811 in 359
West Virginia#93551 in 374
Vermont#9871 in 373
South Dakota#100151 in 396
Kentucky#103681 in 441
Maine#104161 in 412
Montana#11381 in 481
Washington#113201 in 490
Illinois#1191021 in 589
Ohio#123891 in 620
Michigan#127601 in 682
Utah#131101 in 497
North Carolina#133661 in 602
New Hampshire#13551 in 692
Georgia#138561 in 622
North Dakota#138101 in 617
Virginia#139401 in 694
California#147531 in 696
Arizona#15171 in 556
Maryland#164141 in 1,003
South Carolina#168251 in 961
Florida#171181 in 830
Minnesota#178171 in 1,285
Pennsylvania#179741 in 1,281
New Mexico#18961 in 729
Wisconsin#206141 in 1,728
New York#293321 in 3,127
Massachusetts#35661 in 5,886
New Jersey#36451 in 6,222
Alaska———
Connecticut———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Hawaii———
Nevada———
Rhode Island———

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 Velma
Momentum · girls
Rising
  • 2,245 spots since 2024 (#7,967 → #5,722)
  • 1,490 spots since 2020 (#7,212 → #5,722)
  • 8,760 spots since 2015 (#14,482 → #5,722)
  • Biggest jump: 125 spots in 1885 (#479 → #354)
  • Biggest drop: 165 spots in 1972 (#828 → #993)
Rise & fade · girls
32 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 1912 at #88 (1,403 births)
  • Births halved by 1955, 43 yrs later
Top of the charts · girls
Top 100 for 14 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: 14 yrs · run 1905–1917
  • Top 1,000: 94 yrs · run 1880–1973
Share of babies · girls
1 in 373
  • Highest: 1 in 373 girls born in 1907 were named Velma (0.27%)
  • Latest: 1 in 76,537 girls born in 2025 (0.00%)
  • Its best rank, #88 in 1912, was only 1 in 398 (0.25%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
Era · girls
The 1920s
  • 26.4% of all girls named Velma (22,875) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s358#274 (1887)#366
1890s2,099#139 (1899)#191
1900s6,558#90 (1908)#104
1910s18,631#88 (1912)#95
1920s22,875#105 (1920)#118
1930s14,250#127 (1930)#150
1940s9,272#188 (1941)#223
1950s6,861#267 (1950)#330
1960s3,696#406 (1960)#525
1970s1,134#781 (1970)#1,138
1980s512#1,455 (1981)#2,233
1990s191#2,886 (1991)#5,734
2000s97#7,444 (2002)#11,060
2010s107#5,785 (2018)#10,786
2020s111#5,172 (2022)#6,479

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.

Velma in 1925

girls
#128
2,177 births · 1 in 559 girls
boys
#1,628
22 births · 1 in 50,724 boys

Top girls' names in 1925

  1. #1Mary70,586
  2. #2Dorothy38,570
  3. #3Betty32,812
  4. #4Helen29,173
  5. #5Margaret24,463
  6. #6Ruth22,247
  7. #7Virginia17,490
  8. #8Doris16,075
  9. #9Mildred14,453
  10. #10Elizabeth13,936
  11. #128Velma2,177

Top boys' names in 1925

  1. #1Robert60,895
  2. #2John57,195
  3. #3William53,310
  4. #4James52,680
  5. #5Charles29,580
  6. #6George26,560
  7. #7Joseph24,613
  8. #8Richard23,269
  9. #9Edward20,090
  10. #10Donald19,193
  11. #1,628Velma22
More about 1925

girls

1,217,384 girls got a published name in 1925; 1 in 559 of them was named Velma, which outranked 97.8% of the 5,771 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.0% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Velma
  1. #125Rosa2,230
  2. #126Muriel2,215
  3. #127Carolyn2,189
  4. #128Velma2,177
  5. #129Opal2,108
  6. #130Eunice2,097
  7. #131Harriet2,067
Biggest movers since 1924
Risers
  1. ↑ 605Nanette#1,475 → #870
  2. ↑ 417Paulina#1,258 → #841
  3. ↑ 353Estela#1,258 → #905
  4. ↑ 323Delois#1,123 → #800
  5. ↑ 313Veola#1,301 → #988
Fallers
  1. ↓ 610Kathlyn#999 → #1,609
  2. ↓ 396Izetta#951 → #1,347
  3. ↓ 355Loma#941 → #1,296
  4. ↓ 345Phylis#880 → #1,225
  5. ↓ 309Eris#728 → #1,037

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

1,115,919 boys got a published name in 1925; 1 in 50,724 of them was named Velma, which outranked 66.6% of the 4,867 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 32.9% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Velma
  1. #1,583Tadashi23
  2. #1,583Ulyses23
  3. #1,583Von23
  4. #1,628Velma22
  5. #1,628Arnie22
  6. #1,628Baldomero22
  7. #1,628Barnett22
  8. #1,679Audry21
  9. #1,679Augusta21
  10. #1,679Bascom21

Tied with 50 names at #1,628; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1924
Risers
  1. ↑ 548Okey#1,532 → #984
  2. ↑ 494Eddy#1,492 → #998
  3. ↑ 422Terrence#1,223 → #801
  4. ↑ 371Hughie#1,355 → #984
  5. ↑ 363Rexford#1,287 → #924
Fallers
  1. ↓ 444Baxter#916 → #1,360
  2. ↓ 429Adelbert#817 → #1,246
  3. ↓ 407Jonnie#925 → #1,332
  4. ↓ 406Faustino#984 → #1,390
  5. ↓ 387Deward#859 → #1,246

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1925 →