Zelma
#6,838 for girls in 2025, 16 births · Last seen for boys in 1944 at #3,109
Given to girls 99.3% of the time
- Peak · girls
- 1902 · 189 births
- Debut · girls
- 19 births
- In top 100 · girls
- neverof 146 years
- Total births · girls
- 16,824since 1880
Zelma over time
Rank among girls' names. Zelma has never cracked the top 200 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 | #6,838 | 16 | — | |
| 2024 | #6,642 | 17 | — | |
| 2023 | #7,640 | 14 | — | |
| 2022 | #8,542 | 12 | — | |
| 2021 | #8,464 | 12 | — | |
| 2020 | #9,546 | 10 | — | |
| 2019 | #7,716 | 14 | — | |
| 2018 | #7,100 | 16 | — | |
| 2017 | #12,713 | 7 | — | |
| 2016 | #8,393 | 13 | — | |
| 2015 | #8,447 | 13 | — | |
| 2014 | #14,558 | 6 | — | |
| 2013 | #16,547 | 5 | — | |
| 2012 | #16,869 | 5 | — | |
| 2011 | #16,764 | 5 | — | |
| 2010 | #12,276 | 8 | — | |
| 2009 | #17,294 | 5 | — | |
| 2008 | #12,579 | 8 | — | |
| 2007 | #17,636 | 5 | — | |
| 2006 | #12,420 | 8 | — | |
| 2005 | #11,834 | 8 | — | |
| 2004 | — | — | ||
| 2003 | — | — | ||
| 2002 | #15,432 | 5 | — | |
| 2001 | — | — | ||
| 2000 | #13,154 | 6 | — | |
| 1999 | #11,385 | 7 | — | |
| 1998 | #11,138 | 7 | — | |
| 1997 | #13,724 | 5 | — | |
| 1996 | #9,581 | 8 | — | |
| 1995 | — | — | ||
| 1994 | #8,122 | 10 | — | |
| 1993 | — | — | ||
| 1992 | #9,491 | 8 | — | |
| 1991 | #11,509 | 6 | — | |
| 1990 | — | — | ||
| 1989 | #9,681 | 7 | — | |
| 1988 | #9,244 | 7 | — | |
| 1987 | #9,825 | 6 | — | |
| 1986 | #7,134 | 9 | — | |
| 1985 | #6,457 | 10 | — | |
| 1984 | — | — | ||
| 1983 | #6,212 | 10 | — | |
| 1982 | #7,469 | 8 | — | |
| 1981 | #4,963 | 14 | — | |
| 1980 | #8,178 | 7 | — | |
| 1979 | #4,842 | 14 | — | |
| 1978 | #5,958 | 10 | — | |
| 1977 | #6,892 | 8 | — | |
| 1976 | #4,905 | 12 | — | |
| 1975 | #3,637 | 18 | — | |
| 1974 | #4,041 | 15 | — | |
| 1973 | #2,629 | 27 | — | |
| 1972 | #3,543 | 17 | — | |
| 1971 | #2,874 | 24 | — | |
| 1970 | #3,435 | 18 | — | |
| 1969 | #3,012 | 20 | — | |
| 1968 | #2,296 | 28 | — | |
| 1967 | #2,432 | 25 | — | |
| 1966 | #1,715 | 43 | — | |
| 1965 | #1,741 | 42 | — | |
| 1964 | #1,747 | 44 | — | |
| 1963 | #1,815 | 41 | — | |
| 1962 | #1,476 | 57 | — | |
| 1961 | #1,387 | 65 | — | |
| 1960 | #1,393 | 62 | — | |
| 1959 | #1,184 | 81 | — | |
| 1958 | #1,164 | 83 | — | |
| 1957 | #1,202 | 77 | — | |
| 1956 | #1,043 | 96 | — | |
| 1955 | #978 | 104 | — | |
| 1954 | #872 | 120 | — | |
| 1953 | #915 | 106 | — | |
| 1952 | #954 | 96 | — | |
| 1951 | #891 | 103 | — | |
| 1950 | #792 | 120 | — | |
| 1949 | #683 | 150 | — | |
| 1948 | #805 | 115 | — | |
| 1947 | #701 | 146 | — | |
| 1946 | #667 | 143 | — | |
| 1945 | #567 | 168 | — | |
| 1944 | #598 | 151 | #3,109 | 6 |
| 1943 | #567 | 178 | — | |
| 1942 | #553 | 181 | — | |
| 1941 | #572 | 148 | — | |
| 1940 | #501 | 190 | — | |
| 1939 | #497 | 180 | #3,480 | 5 |
| 1938 | #476 | 194 | — | |
| 1937 | #474 | 191 | #3,518 | 5 |
| 1936 | #470 | 185 | — | |
| 1935 | #423 | 237 | — | |
| 1934 | #391 | 272 | #2,742 | 8 |
| 1933 | #422 | 230 | — | |
| 1932 | #367 | 303 | — | |
| 1931 | #386 | 284 | — | |
| 1930 | #338 | 370 | #4,001 | 5 |
| 1929 | #350 | 347 | — | |
| 1928 | #351 | 371 | #3,697 | 6 |
| 1927 | #340 | 382 | — | |
| 1926 | #354 | 356 | #3,708 | 6 |
| 1925 | #322 | 431 | — | |
| 1924 | #330 | 417 | #4,347 | 5 |
| 1923 | #306 | 447 | — | |
| 1922 | #296 | 467 | #3,014 | 9 |
| 1921 | #310 | 445 | #2,502 | 12 |
| 1920 | #308 | 448 | — | |
| 1919 | #287 | 488 | #3,736 | 6 |
| 1918 | #294 | 471 | #3,096 | 8 |
| 1917 | #283 | 477 | #2,562 | 10 |
| 1916 | #276 | 466 | #3,897 | 5 |
| 1915 | #266 | 487 | #3,825 | 5 |
| 1914 | #270 | 373 | — | |
| 1913 | #252 | 342 | — | |
| 1912 | #255 | 307 | — | |
| 1911 | #240 | 268 | — | |
| 1910 | #257 | 220 | — | |
| 1909 | #233 | 240 | — | |
| 1908 | #242 | 199 | — | |
| 1907 | #227 | 212 | — | |
| 1906 | #231 | 188 | — | |
| 1905 | #258 | 161 | — | |
| 1904 | #217 | 198 | — | |
| 1903 | #224 | 176 | #1,009 | 6 |
| 1902 | #216 | 189 | — | |
| 1901 | #256 | 127 | — | |
| 1900 | #287 | 131 | — | |
| 1899 | #261 | 120 | — | |
| 1898 | #305 | 104 | — | |
| 1897 | #277 | 104 | — | |
| 1896 | #321 | 82 | — | |
| 1895 | #322 | 80 | — | |
| 1894 | #318 | 77 | — | |
| 1893 | #356 | 57 | — | |
| 1892 | #351 | 56 | — | |
| 1891 | #317 | 63 | — | |
| 1890 | #354 | 52 | — | |
| 1889 | #368 | 43 | — | |
| 1888 | #403 | 37 | #1,031 | 5 |
| 1887 | #424 | 27 | — | |
| 1886 | #378 | 32 | — | |
| 1885 | #500 | 18 | — | |
| 1884 | #368 | 29 | — | |
| 1883 | #480 | 16 | — | |
| 1882 | #389 | 21 | — | |
| 1881 | #405 | 17 | — | |
| 1880 | #375 | 19 | — | |
In the first year the SSA published name data, Zelma was already there! It came in at #375, and was given to 19 baby girls.
Quietest stretch: 1984, when fewer than 5 girls a year got the name.
Where Zelma is popular in 1939
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
- Kentucky#247 · 1 in 1,532
- Colorado#254 · 1 in 1,759
- Arkansas#291 · 1 in 1,820
- Virginia#293 · 1 in 2,384
- Florida#294 · 1 in 1,973
Best ever in a state: #81 in Utah, 1911.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | #247 | 18 | 1 in 1,532 |
| Colorado | #254 | 5 | 1 in 1,759 |
| Arkansas | #291 | 10 | 1 in 1,820 |
| Virginia | #293 | 10 | 1 in 2,384 |
| Florida | #294 | 7 | 1 in 1,973 |
| West Virginia | #305 | 7 | 1 in 2,681 |
| Tennessee | #313 | 10 | 1 in 2,716 |
| Mississippi | #330 | 9 | 1 in 2,449 |
| South Carolina | #346 | 7 | 1 in 3,021 |
| Indiana | #351 | 6 | 1 in 4,232 |
| Georgia | #366 | 9 | 1 in 3,457 |
| Alabama | #369 | 8 | 1 in 3,543 |
| Oklahoma | #398 | 6 | 1 in 3,336 |
| Ohio | #399 | 9 | 1 in 5,600 |
| North Carolina | #400 | 8 | 1 in 4,606 |
| Texas | #515 | 13 | 1 in 4,384 |
| Illinois | #584 | 5 | 1 in 10,744 |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| Arizona | — | — | — |
| California | — | — | — |
| Connecticut | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — |
| Hawaii | — | — | — |
| Idaho | — | — | — |
| Iowa | — | — | — |
| Kansas | — | — | — |
| Louisiana | — | — | — |
| Maine | — | — | — |
| Maryland | — | — | — |
| Massachusetts | — | — | — |
| Michigan | — | — | — |
| Minnesota | — | — | — |
| Missouri | — | — | — |
| Montana | — | — | — |
| Nebraska | — | — | — |
| Nevada | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire | — | — | — |
| New Jersey | — | — | — |
| New Mexico | — | — | — |
| New York | — | — | — |
| North Dakota | — | — | — |
| Oregon | — | — | — |
| Pennsylvania | — | — | — |
| 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 Zelma
- 196 spots since 2024 (#6,642 → #6,838)
- 2,708 spots since 2020 (#9,546 → #6,838)
- 1,609 spots since 2015 (#8,447 → #6,838)
- Biggest jump: 122 spots in 1886 (#500 → #378)
- Biggest drop: 132 spots in 1885 (#368 → #500)
- Debuted 1880
- Peaked 1902 at #216 (189 births)
- Births halved by 1957, 55 yrs later
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: never
- Top 1,000: 76 yrs · run 1880–1955
- Highest: 1 in 1,391 girls born in 1904 were named Zelma (0.07%)
- Latest: 1 in 100,454 girls born in 2025 (0.00%)
- Its best rank, #216 in 1902, was only 1 in 1,397 (0.07%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
- 24.4% of all girls named Zelma (4,111) were born in this decade
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 259 | #368 (1889) | #409 |
| 1890s | 795 | #261 (1899) | #318 |
| 1900s | 1,821 | #216 (1902) | #239 |
| 1910s | 3,899 | #240 (1911) | #268 |
| 1920s | 4,111 | #296 (1922) | #327 |
| 1930s | 2,446 | #338 (1930) | #424 |
| 1940s | 1,570 | #501 (1940) | #621 |
| 1950s | 986 | #792 (1950) | #1,000 |
| 1960s | 427 | #1,387 (1961) | #1,901 |
| 1970s | 163 | #2,629 (1973) | #4,276 |
| 1980s | 78 | #4,963 (1981) | #7,685 |
| 1990s | 51 | #8,122 (1994) | #10,707 |
| 2000s | 45 | #11,834 (2005) | #14,336 |
| 2010s | 92 | #7,100 (2018) | #12,138 |
| 2020s | 81 | #6,642 (2024) | #7,945 |
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.
Zelma in 1939
Top girls' names in 1939
Top boys' names in 1939
More about 1939
girls
1,096,612 girls got a published name in 1939; 1 in 6,092 of them was named Zelma, which outranked 90.0% of the 4,950 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.0% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
boys
1,106,852 boys got a published name in 1939; 1 in 221,370 of them was named Zelma, which outranked 12.3% of the 3,968 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 33.4% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).
Tied with 488 names at #3,480; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.