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
Showing
- 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
girls
Rank among girls' names. Zelma has never cracked the top 200 here.
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 | #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 | — | |
First appearance
1880
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 1940
- 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
- West Virginia#266 · 1 in 2,104
- Missouri#266 · 1 in 2,151
- Kentucky#269 · 1 in 1,910
- Oklahoma#278 · 1 in 1,833
- North Carolina#287 · 1 in 2,354
Best ever in a state: #81 in Utah, 1911.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri | #266 | 13 | 1 in 2,151 |
| West Virginia | #266 | 9 | 1 in 2,104 |
| Kentucky | #269 | 15 | 1 in 1,910 |
| Oklahoma | #278 | 11 | 1 in 1,833 |
| North Carolina | #287 | 16 | 1 in 2,354 |
| Arkansas | #292 | 10 | 1 in 1,912 |
| Alabama | #321 | 11 | 1 in 2,685 |
| Tennessee | #321 | 10 | 1 in 2,817 |
| Georgia | #335 | 11 | 1 in 2,887 |
| South Carolina | #351 | 7 | 1 in 3,128 |
| Virginia | #363 | 6 | 1 in 4,121 |
| Texas | #397 | 21 | 1 in 2,862 |
| Ohio | #465 | 7 | 1 in 7,529 |
| Louisiana | #474 | 5 | 1 in 4,680 |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| Arizona | — | — | — |
| California | — | — | — |
| Colorado | — | — | — |
| Connecticut | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — |
| Florida | — | — | — |
| Hawaii | — | — | — |
| Idaho | — | — | — |
| Illinois | — | — | — |
| Indiana | — | — | — |
| Iowa | — | — | — |
| Kansas | — | — | — |
| Maine | — | — | — |
| Maryland | — | — | — |
| Massachusetts | — | — | — |
| Michigan | — | — | — |
| Minnesota | — | — | — |
| Mississippi | — | — | — |
| 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
Momentum · girls
Rising
- 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)
Rise & fade · girls
22 yrs to peak
- Debuted 1880
- Peaked 1902 at #216 (189 births)
- Births halved by 1957, 55 yrs later
Top of the charts · girls
Top 1,000 for 76 yrs
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: never
- Top 1,000: 76 yrs · run 1880–1955
Share of babies · girls
1 in 1,391
- 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
Era · girls
The 1920s
- 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 1940
girls
#501
190 births · 1 in 6,019 girls
Top girls' names in 1940
More about 1940
girls
1,143,528 girls got a published name in 1940; 1 in 6,019 of them was named Zelma, which outranked 90.0% of the 5,028 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.1% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
Ranked beside Zelma
Biggest movers since 1939
Risers
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.