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#10,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201933peak #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 1933

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Velma, so not publishedAKMaine: #166 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 845 girlsMEVermont: #108 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 463 girlsVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 girls named Velma, so not publishedNHWashington: #209 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 1,406 girlsWAIdaho: #89 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 317 girlsIDMontana: fewer than 5 girls named Velma, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Velma, so not publishedNDMinnesota: #180 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 1,222 girlsMNIllinois: #141 for girls · 61 births · 1 in 789 girlsILWisconsin: #302 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 3,577 girlsWIMichigan: #140 for girls · 40 births · 1 in 869 girlsMINew York: #284 for girls · 27 births · 1 in 3,062 girlsNYMassachusetts: #263 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 3,448 girlsMARhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Velma, so not publishedRIOregon: #112 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 466 girlsORNevada: fewer than 5 girls named Velma, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 girls named Velma, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: #81 for girls · 16 births · 1 in 322 girlsSDIowa: #87 for girls · 43 births · 1 in 401 girlsIAIndiana: #93 for girls · 52 births · 1 in 413 girlsINOhio: #133 for girls · 58 births · 1 in 741 girlsOHPennsylvania: #163 for girls · 59 births · 1 in 1,163 girlsPANew Jersey: fewer than 5 girls named Velma, so not publishedNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 girls named Velma, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #189 for girls · 33 births · 1 in 997 girlsCAUtah: #197 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 880 girlsUTColorado: #106 for girls · 19 births · 1 in 400 girlsCONebraska: #108 for girls · 19 births · 1 in 515 girlsNEMissouri: #77 for girls · 71 births · 1 in 369 girlsMOKentucky: #112 for girls · 56 births · 1 in 464 girlsKYWest Virginia: #100 for girls · 40 births · 1 in 411 girlsWVVirginia: #145 for girls · 34 births · 1 in 666 girlsVAMaryland: #198 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 1,427 girlsMDDelaware: fewer than 5 girls named Velma, so not publishedDEArizona: #182 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 693 girlsAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 girls named Velma, so not publishedNMKansas: #91 for girls · 33 births · 1 in 389 girlsKSArkansas: #38 for girls · 96 births · 1 in 191 girlsARTennessee: #77 for girls · 78 births · 1 in 329 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #137 for girls · 59 births · 1 in 583 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #234 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 1,548 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Velma, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #50 for girls · 89 births · 1 in 246 girlsOKLouisiana: #74 for girls · 69 births · 1 in 277 girlsLAMississippi: #89 for girls · 62 births · 1 in 328 girlsMSAlabama: #113 for girls · 62 births · 1 in 442 girlsALGeorgia: #155 for girls · 41 births · 1 in 702 girlsGAHawaii: #162 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 622 girlsHITexas: #97 for girls · 126 births · 1 in 433 girlsTXFlorida: #189 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 863 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Arkansas#38 · 1 in 191
  2. Oklahoma#50 · 1 in 246
  3. Louisiana#74 · 1 in 277
  4. Tennessee#77 · 1 in 329
  5. Missouri#77 · 1 in 369

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Arkansas#38961 in 191
Oklahoma#50891 in 246
Louisiana#74691 in 277
Missouri#77711 in 369
Tennessee#77781 in 329
South Dakota#81161 in 322
Iowa#87431 in 401
Idaho#89101 in 317
Mississippi#89621 in 328
Kansas#91331 in 389
Indiana#93521 in 413
Texas#971261 in 433
West Virginia#100401 in 411
Colorado#106191 in 400
Nebraska#108191 in 515
Vermont#10851 in 463
Kentucky#112561 in 464
Oregon#112101 in 466
Alabama#113621 in 442
Ohio#133581 in 741
North Carolina#137591 in 583
Michigan#140401 in 869
Illinois#141611 in 789
Virginia#145341 in 666
Georgia#155411 in 702
Hawaii#16251 in 622
Pennsylvania#163591 in 1,163
Maine#16671 in 845
Minnesota#180151 in 1,222
Arizona#18251 in 693
California#189331 in 997
Florida#189131 in 863
Utah#19751 in 880
Maryland#19881 in 1,427
Washington#20961 in 1,406
South Carolina#234131 in 1,548
Massachusetts#26381 in 3,448
New York#284271 in 3,062
Wisconsin#30261 in 3,577
Alaska———
Connecticut———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Montana———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
New Jersey———
New Mexico———
North Dakota———
Rhode Island———
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 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 1933

girls
#137
1,481 births · 1 in 681 girls
boys
#2,738
8 births · 1 in 123,941 boys

Top girls' names in 1933

  1. #1Mary55,517
  2. #2Betty31,531
  3. #3Barbara26,949
  4. #4Dorothy22,054
  5. #5Joan19,294
  6. #6Patricia18,632
  7. #7Margaret15,241
  8. #8Helen14,644
  9. #9Shirley14,320
  10. #10Doris12,025
  11. #137Velma1,481

Top boys' names in 1933

  1. #1Robert54,221
  2. #2James51,112
  3. #3John46,224
  4. #4William39,049
  5. #5Richard31,331
  6. #6Charles28,991
  7. #7Donald28,450
  8. #8George18,356
  9. #9Joseph17,162
  10. #10Thomas16,508
  11. #2,738Velma8
More about 1933

girls

1,007,932 girls got a published name in 1933; 1 in 681 of them was named Velma, which outranked 97.2% of the 4,858 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 22.8% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Velma
  1. #134Diane1,603
  2. #134Minnie1,603
  3. #136Violet1,517
  4. #137Velma1,481
  5. #138Viola1,478
  6. #139Leona1,461
  7. #140Naomi1,431
Biggest movers since 1932
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,022Rheta#1,754 → #732
  2. ↑ 930Joellen#1,877 → #947
  3. ↑ 583Veola#1,568 → #985
  4. ↑ 483Sharlene#1,162 → #679
  5. ↑ 475Louetta#1,448 → #973
Fallers
  1. ↓ 395Golda#969 → #1,364
  2. ↓ 322Louis#940 → #1,262
  3. ↓ 298Bebe#899 → #1,197
  4. ↓ 291Clyde#998 → #1,289
  5. ↓ 291Mariam#998 → #1,289

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

boys

991,524 boys got a published name in 1933; 1 in 123,941 of them was named Velma, which outranked 34.1% of the 4,156 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 33.4% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Velma
  1. #2,542Woodard9
  2. #2,542York9
  3. #2,542Yukio9
  4. #2,738Velma8
  5. #2,738Acey8
  6. #2,738Aden8
  7. #2,738Aldean8
  8. #3,004Abelino7
  9. #3,004Abundio7
  10. #3,004Adelaido7

Tied with 265 names at #2,738; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1932
Risers
  1. ↑ 553Neville#1,548 → #995
  2. ↑ 401Cordell#1,286 → #885
  3. ↑ 381Hamilton#1,286 → #905
  4. ↑ 375Delano#677 → #302
  5. ↑ 313Jan#937 → #624
Fallers
  1. ↓ 568Hoover#793 → #1,361
  2. ↓ 541Porfirio#915 → #1,456
  3. ↓ 424Rosendo#937 → #1,361
  4. ↓ 381Alfonzo#821 → #1,202
  5. ↓ 368Hillard#862 → #1,230

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

See the top 100 for 1933 →