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
- Peak · girls
- 1912 · 1,403 births
- Debut · girls
- 16 births
- In top 100 · girls
- 14 yrsof 146 years
- Total births · girls
- 86,752since 1880
Velma over time
girls
Rank among girls' names. Click any year to open it.
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
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | #5,722 | 21 | — | |
| 2024 | #7,967 | 13 | — | |
| 2023 | #5,549 | 22 | — | |
| 2022 | #5,172 | 25 | — | |
| 2021 | #7,250 | 15 | — | |
| 2020 | #7,212 | 15 | — | |
| 2019 | #7,716 | 14 | — | |
| 2018 | #5,785 | 21 | — | |
| 2017 | #11,615 | 8 | — | |
| 2016 | #12,876 | 7 | — | |
| 2015 | #14,482 | 6 | — | |
| 2014 | #8,485 | 13 | — | |
| 2013 | #11,000 | 9 | — | |
| 2012 | #16,869 | 5 | — | |
| 2011 | #7,783 | 15 | — | |
| 2010 | #11,246 | 9 | — | |
| 2009 | #10,679 | 10 | — | |
| 2008 | #15,405 | 6 | — | |
| 2007 | #17,636 | 5 | — | |
| 2006 | #11,417 | 9 | — | |
| 2005 | #13,010 | 7 | — | |
| 2004 | #7,828 | 14 | — | |
| 2003 | #9,048 | 11 | — | |
| 2002 | #7,444 | 14 | — | |
| 2001 | #10,102 | 9 | — | |
| 2000 | #8,027 | 12 | — | |
| 1999 | #7,716 | 12 | — | |
| 1998 | #6,073 | 16 | — | |
| 1997 | #7,742 | 11 | — | |
| 1996 | #7,130 | 12 | — | |
| 1995 | #6,641 | 13 | — | |
| 1994 | #5,016 | 19 | — | |
| 1993 | #4,826 | 20 | — | |
| 1992 | #6,008 | 15 | — | |
| 1991 | #2,886 | 40 | — | |
| 1990 | #3,297 | 33 | — | |
| 1989 | #3,253 | 32 | — | |
| 1988 | #2,803 | 37 | — | |
| 1987 | #2,493 | 41 | — | |
| 1986 | #2,344 | 43 | — | |
| 1985 | #2,704 | 35 | — | |
| 1984 | #2,018 | 50 | — | |
| 1983 | #1,887 | 55 | — | |
| 1982 | #1,850 | 58 | — | |
| 1981 | #1,455 | 83 | — | |
| 1980 | #1,518 | 78 | — | |
| 1979 | #1,503 | 78 | — | |
| 1978 | #1,397 | 83 | — | |
| 1977 | #1,451 | 76 | — | |
| 1976 | #1,191 | 95 | — | |
| 1975 | #1,229 | 93 | — | |
| 1974 | #1,070 | 110 | — | |
| 1973 | #933 | 131 | — | |
| 1972 | #993 | 120 | — | |
| 1971 | #828 | 167 | — | |
| 1970 | #781 | 181 | — | |
| 1969 | #731 | 191 | — | |
| 1968 | #651 | 222 | — | |
| 1967 | #577 | 273 | — | |
| 1966 | #546 | 299 | — | |
| 1965 | #499 | 362 | — | |
| 1964 | #487 | 395 | — | |
| 1963 | #478 | 407 | — | |
| 1962 | #445 | 464 | — | |
| 1961 | #428 | 524 | — | |
| 1960 | #406 | 559 | — | |
| 1959 | #400 | 550 | — | |
| 1958 | #416 | 502 | — | |
| 1957 | #352 | 668 | — | |
| 1956 | #332 | 692 | — | |
| 1955 | #338 | 634 | #2,558 | 10 |
| 1954 | #309 | 749 | #3,827 | 5 |
| 1953 | #304 | 737 | — | |
| 1952 | #300 | 706 | — | |
| 1951 | #277 | 798 | — | |
| 1950 | #267 | 825 | — | |
| 1949 | #272 | 798 | #3,298 | 6 |
| 1948 | #254 | 871 | — | |
| 1947 | #259 | 848 | — | |
| 1946 | #242 | 875 | #3,173 | 6 |
| 1945 | #223 | 861 | #2,743 | 7 |
| 1944 | #211 | 935 | #2,195 | 11 |
| 1943 | #201 | 1,046 | — | |
| 1942 | #196 | 1,052 | — | |
| 1941 | #188 | 1,000 | — | |
| 1940 | #188 | 986 | #2,671 | 8 |
| 1939 | #178 | 1,068 | #3,480 | 5 |
| 1938 | #174 | 1,160 | #2,326 | 10 |
| 1937 | #164 | 1,218 | #3,518 | 5 |
| 1936 | #167 | 1,180 | #2,184 | 11 |
| 1935 | #147 | 1,352 | #2,029 | 13 |
| 1934 | #144 | 1,426 | #2,563 | 9 |
| 1933 | #137 | 1,481 | #2,738 | 8 |
| 1932 | #133 | 1,689 | #1,465 | 23 |
| 1931 | #131 | 1,758 | #2,471 | 10 |
| 1930 | #127 | 1,918 | #1,964 | 15 |
| 1929 | #128 | 1,930 | #2,096 | 14 |
| 1928 | #114 | 2,290 | #2,270 | 13 |
| 1927 | #118 | 2,285 | #2,523 | 11 |
| 1926 | #124 | 2,120 | #1,846 | 18 |
| 1925 | #128 | 2,177 | #1,628 | 22 |
| 1924 | #123 | 2,272 | #1,776 | 20 |
| 1923 | #116 | 2,337 | #2,446 | 12 |
| 1922 | #113 | 2,367 | #2,801 | 10 |
| 1921 | #108 | 2,606 | #3,517 | 7 |
| 1920 | #105 | 2,491 | #1,885 | 18 |
| 1919 | #104 | 2,341 | #1,576 | 22 |
| 1918 | #103 | 2,439 | #2,260 | 13 |
| 1917 | #98 | 2,411 | #2,423 | 11 |
| 1916 | #99 | 2,319 | #2,389 | 11 |
| 1915 | #94 | 2,287 | #2,184 | 12 |
| 1914 | #92 | 1,795 | #2,457 | 8 |
| 1913 | #89 | 1,556 | #1,441 | 14 |
| 1912 | #88 | 1,403 | #2,544 | 5 |
| 1911 | #90 | 1,045 | #1,290 | 8 |
| 1910 | #90 | 1,035 | #1,193 | 8 |
| 1909 | #92 | 857 | #1,083 | 8 |
| 1908 | #90 | 860 | #1,217 | 6 |
| 1907 | #90 | 854 | #1,200 | 6 |
| 1906 | #94 | 721 | — | |
| 1905 | #94 | 722 | — | |
| 1904 | #101 | 615 | #1,064 | 6 |
| 1903 | #99 | 589 | — | |
| 1902 | #113 | 526 | — | |
| 1901 | #130 | 388 | #1,058 | 5 |
| 1900 | #141 | 426 | — | |
| 1899 | #139 | 334 | — | |
| 1898 | #152 | 331 | — | |
| 1897 | #160 | 280 | — | |
| 1896 | #174 | 249 | — | |
| 1895 | #188 | 208 | — | |
| 1894 | #189 | 196 | — | |
| 1893 | #201 | 156 | — | |
| 1892 | #212 | 146 | — | |
| 1891 | #236 | 103 | — | |
| 1890 | #254 | 96 | — | |
| 1889 | #281 | 72 | — | |
| 1888 | #286 | 67 | — | |
| 1887 | #274 | 59 | — | |
| 1886 | #371 | 33 | — | |
| 1885 | #354 | 32 | — | |
| 1884 | #479 | 18 | — | |
| 1883 | #366 | 25 | — | |
| 1882 | #446 | 17 | — | |
| 1881 | #384 | 19 | — | |
| 1880 | #421 | 16 | — | |
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 1961
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
Top states · girls
- Mississippi#127 · 1 in 564
- Arkansas#204 · 1 in 1,029
- Texas#237 · 1 in 1,189
- Louisiana#246 · 1 in 1,409
- South Carolina#274 · 1 in 1,621
Best ever in a state: #12 in Kansas, 1910.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | #127 | 44 | 1 in 564 |
| Arkansas | #204 | 17 | 1 in 1,029 |
| Texas | #237 | 94 | 1 in 1,189 |
| Louisiana | #246 | 27 | 1 in 1,409 |
| South Carolina | #274 | 16 | 1 in 1,621 |
| Georgia | #280 | 25 | 1 in 1,782 |
| North Carolina | #280 | 27 | 1 in 1,806 |
| Alabama | #282 | 19 | 1 in 1,808 |
| Virginia | #301 | 18 | 1 in 2,231 |
| Tennessee | #304 | 15 | 1 in 2,414 |
| New Mexico | #328 | 7 | 1 in 1,708 |
| Florida | #330 | 22 | 1 in 2,276 |
| West Virginia | #345 | 6 | 1 in 2,803 |
| Arizona | #372 | 7 | 1 in 2,193 |
| Maryland | #381 | 9 | 1 in 3,369 |
| Missouri | #412 | 11 | 1 in 4,027 |
| Oklahoma | #439 | 6 | 1 in 3,475 |
| Illinois | #442 | 25 | 1 in 4,265 |
| Ohio | #489 | 18 | 1 in 5,791 |
| Kentucky | #550 | 5 | 1 in 6,378 |
| California | #595 | 29 | 1 in 6,039 |
| Pennsylvania | #621 | 11 | 1 in 10,095 |
| New York | #691 | 17 | 1 in 9,881 |
| Michigan | #750 | 7 | 1 in 12,411 |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| Colorado | — | — | — |
| Connecticut | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — |
| Hawaii | — | — | — |
| Idaho | — | — | — |
| Indiana | — | — | — |
| Iowa | — | — | — |
| Kansas | — | — | — |
| Maine | — | — | — |
| Massachusetts | — | — | — |
| Minnesota | — | — | — |
| Montana | — | — | — |
| Nebraska | — | — | — |
| Nevada | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire | — | — | — |
| New Jersey | — | — | — |
| 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
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 358 | #274 (1887) | #366 |
| 1890s | 2,099 | #139 (1899) | #191 |
| 1900s | 6,558 | #90 (1908) | #104 |
| 1910s | 18,631 | #88 (1912) | #95 |
| 1920s | 22,875 | #105 (1920) | #118 |
| 1930s | 14,250 | #127 (1930) | #150 |
| 1940s | 9,272 | #188 (1941) | #223 |
| 1950s | 6,861 | #267 (1950) | #330 |
| 1960s | 3,696 | #406 (1960) | #525 |
| 1970s | 1,134 | #781 (1970) | #1,138 |
| 1980s | 512 | #1,455 (1981) | #2,233 |
| 1990s | 191 | #2,886 (1991) | #5,734 |
| 2000s | 97 | #7,444 (2002) | #11,060 |
| 2010s | 107 | #5,785 (2018) | #10,786 |
| 2020s | 111 | #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 1961
girls
#428
524 births · 1 in 3,852 girls
Top girls' names in 1961
More about 1961
girls
2,018,495 girls got a published name in 1961; 1 in 3,852 of them was named Velma, which outranked 94.3% of the 7,527 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 16.3% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
Ranked beside Velma
Biggest movers since 1960
Risers
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.