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Elma

Elma: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning
“helmet, protection”
Origin
Germanic
Say it
EL-muh · 2 syllables
Used for
Girls (98% of all uses)

Elma is often treated as a short form of names beginning with the Germanic element helm, meaning 'helmet' or 'protection.' It has also sometimes been used as an independent name.

English namesGerman namesScandinavian namesNames meaning protectorNames meaning strengthVintage namesShort names

How popular is Elma?

20249.0 per million US babies
1880192019602000
Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Babies named Elma in 202430

2024 rank#4,546 girls

Peak year1901

Total US babies since 188022,152

Elma is steady now but far below its 1901 peak.

Names like Elma

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

  • Emmawhole, universal · Germanic
  • Ameliawork · Germanic
  • Ellaall, completely · Germanic
  • Alicenoble type · Germanic
  • Adelinenoble · Germanic
  • Emeryindustrious ruler · Germanic
  • Milliegentle strength · Germanic
  • Aubreyelf ruler · Germanic

Elma questions

What does the name Elma mean?

Elma means "helmet, protection". It comes from Germanic. Elma is often treated as a short form of names beginning with the Germanic element helm, meaning 'helmet' or 'protection.' It has also sometimes been used as an independent name.

Is Elma a boy or girl name?

Elma is mainly a girl's name in US records (98% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Elma?

30 US babies were named Elma in 2024. Its peak year was 1901.

How do you pronounce Elma?

Elma is usually pronounced EL-muh.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.