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#10,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201955peak #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 1955

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Velma, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 girls named Velma, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 girls named Velma, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 girls named Velma, so not publishedNHWashington: fewer than 5 girls named Velma, so not publishedWAIdaho: fewer than 5 girls named Velma, so not publishedIDMontana: fewer than 5 girls named Velma, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Velma, so not publishedNDMinnesota: fewer than 5 girls named Velma, so not publishedMNIllinois: #398 for girls · 23 births · 1 in 4,381 girlsILWisconsin: fewer than 5 girls named Velma, so not publishedWIMichigan: #438 for girls · 17 births · 1 in 5,264 girlsMINew York: #708 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 12,568 girlsNYMassachusetts: fewer than 5 girls named Velma, so not publishedMARhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Velma, so not publishedRIOregon: fewer than 5 girls named Velma, so not publishedORNevada: fewer than 5 girls named Velma, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 girls named Velma, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Velma, so not publishedSDIowa: fewer than 5 girls named Velma, so not publishedIAIndiana: #369 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 4,019 girlsINOhio: #355 for girls · 26 births · 1 in 3,923 girlsOHPennsylvania: #616 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 11,277 girlsPANew Jersey: #526 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 8,938 girlsNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 girls named Velma, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #560 for girls · 23 births · 1 in 6,355 girlsCAUtah: fewer than 5 girls named Velma, so not publishedUTColorado: fewer than 5 girls named Velma, so not publishedCONebraska: fewer than 5 girls named Velma, so not publishedNEMissouri: #280 for girls · 17 births · 1 in 2,560 girlsMOKentucky: #272 for girls · 16 births · 1 in 2,102 girlsKYWest Virginia: #357 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 3,277 girlsWVVirginia: #205 for girls · 33 births · 1 in 1,241 girlsVAMaryland: fewer than 5 girls named Velma, so not publishedMDDelaware: fewer than 5 girls named Velma, so not publishedDEArizona: #307 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 1,718 girlsAZNew Mexico: #280 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 1,540 girlsNMKansas: fewer than 5 girls named Velma, so not publishedKSArkansas: #114 for girls · 33 births · 1 in 567 girlsARTennessee: #236 for girls · 23 births · 1 in 1,671 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #195 for girls · 45 births · 1 in 1,155 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #291 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 2,043 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Velma, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #341 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 2,757 girlsOKLouisiana: #215 for girls · 33 births · 1 in 1,139 girlsLAMississippi: #144 for girls · 46 births · 1 in 598 girlsMSAlabama: #275 for girls · 20 births · 1 in 1,812 girlsALGeorgia: #209 for girls · 37 births · 1 in 1,244 girlsGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Velma, so not publishedHITexas: #217 for girls · 95 births · 1 in 1,178 girlsTXFlorida: #257 for girls · 24 births · 1 in 1,651 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Arkansas#114 · 1 in 567
  2. Mississippi#144 · 1 in 598
  3. North Carolina#195 · 1 in 1,155
  4. Virginia#205 · 1 in 1,241
  5. Georgia#209 · 1 in 1,244

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Arkansas#114331 in 567
Mississippi#144461 in 598
North Carolina#195451 in 1,155
Virginia#205331 in 1,241
Georgia#209371 in 1,244
Louisiana#215331 in 1,139
Texas#217951 in 1,178
Tennessee#236231 in 1,671
Florida#257241 in 1,651
Kentucky#272161 in 2,102
Alabama#275201 in 1,812
Missouri#280171 in 2,560
New Mexico#28071 in 1,540
South Carolina#291141 in 2,043
Arizona#30771 in 1,718
Oklahoma#34181 in 2,757
Ohio#355261 in 3,923
West Virginia#35761 in 3,277
Indiana#369121 in 4,019
Illinois#398231 in 4,381
Michigan#438171 in 5,264
New Jersey#52661 in 8,938
California#560231 in 6,355
Pennsylvania#616101 in 11,277
New York#708131 in 12,568
Alaska———
Colorado———
Connecticut———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Hawaii———
Idaho———
Iowa———
Kansas———
Maine———
Maryland———
Massachusetts———
Minnesota———
Montana———
Nebraska———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
North Dakota———
Oregon———
Rhode Island———
South Dakota———
Utah———
Vermont———
Washington———
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 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 1955

girls
#338
634 births · 1 in 3,084 girls
boys
#2,558
10 births · 1 in 205,989 boys

Top girls' names in 1955

  1. #1Mary63,174
  2. #2Deborah52,318
  3. #3Linda51,300
  4. #4Debra50,563
  5. #5Susan47,418
  6. #6Patricia46,226
  7. #7Barbara33,617
  8. #8Karen33,217
  9. #9Nancy30,023
  10. #10Donna27,940
  11. #338Velma634

Top boys' names in 1955

  1. #1Michael88,355
  2. #2David86,306
  3. #3James84,186
  4. #4Robert83,758
  5. #5John80,128
  6. #6William59,990
  7. #7Richard53,566
  8. #8Thomas45,855
  9. #9Mark42,255
  10. #10Steven37,847
  11. #2,558Velma10
More about 1955

girls

1,955,277 girls got a published name in 1955; 1 in 3,084 of them was named Velma, which outranked 95.0% of the 6,732 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 22.3% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Velma
  1. #335Dixie649
  2. #336Shannon643
  3. #337Deloris636
  4. #338Velma634
  5. #339Lola632
  6. #340Mattie630
  7. #341Cherie628
Biggest movers since 1954
Risers
  1. ↑ 793Athena#1,505 → #712
  2. ↑ 675Desiree#984 → #309
  3. ↑ 661Roni#1,197 → #536
  4. ↑ 630Gisele#1,444 → #814
  5. ↑ 593Carmel#1,422 → #829
Fallers
  1. ↓ 514Valinda#806 → #1,320
  2. ↓ 378Elouise#969 → #1,347
  3. ↓ 287Veda#831 → #1,118
  4. ↓ 275Drema#978 → #1,253
  5. ↓ 264Brooke#965 → #1,229

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

boys

2,059,889 boys got a published name in 1955; 1 in 205,989 of them was named Velma, which outranked 41.9% of the 4,400 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 32.1% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Velma
  1. #2,435Wilburt11
  2. #2,435Winn11
  3. #2,435Yale11
  4. #2,558Velma10
  5. #2,558Adelbert10
  6. #2,558Adolf10
  7. #2,558Ahmed10
  8. #2,764Acy9
  9. #2,764Aldon9
  10. #2,764Aldrich9

Tied with 205 names at #2,558; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1954
Risers
  1. ↑ 808Davy#1,333 → #525
  2. ↑ 326Wyatt#985 → #659
  3. ↑ 323Moises#1,311 → #988
  4. ↑ 296Tad#1,068 → #772
  5. ↑ 286Rhett#1,122 → #836
Fallers
  1. ↓ 738Rahn#908 → #1,646
  2. ↓ 415Ricci#739 → #1,154
  3. ↓ 321Meredith#952 → #1,273
  4. ↓ 309Michial#985 → #1,294
  5. ↓ 282Arvin#973 → #1,255

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

See the top 100 for 1955 →