Thelma

Thelma: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning: “will”
Origin: Greek
Say it: THEL-muh · 2 syllables
Used for: Girls

Probably derived from Greek thelema 'will, volition.' It was popularized in English by Marie Corelli's 1887 novel 'Thelma,' though the exact naming inspiration has been debated.

English names Literary names Vintage names

How popular is Thelma?

20249.6 per million US babies

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.

Compare with another name

Babies named Thelma in 202432

2024 rank#4,374 girls

Peak year1908

Total US babies since 1880226,571

Thelma is steady now but far below its 1908 peak.

Names like Thelma

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

Delmauncertain · Unknown
Sophiawisdom · Greek
Sofiawisdom · Greek
Chloeyoung green shoot · Greek
Zoelife · Greek
Penelopeweaver; duck · Greek
Elenabright, shining light · Greek
Genesisorigin; creation; birth · Greek

Thelma questions

What does the name Thelma mean?

Thelma means "will". It comes from Greek. Probably derived from Greek thelema 'will, volition.' It was popularized in English by Marie Corelli's 1887 novel 'Thelma,' though the exact naming inspiration has been debated.

Is Thelma a boy or girl name?

Thelma is mainly a girl's name in US records (100% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Thelma?

32 US babies were named Thelma in 2024. Its peak year was 1908.

How do you pronounce Thelma?

Thelma is usually pronounced THEL-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.