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Zelma

Zelma: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning
“helmet protection”
Origin
Germanic
Say it
ZEL-muh · 2 syllables
Used for
Girls

Usually explained as a short form of names such as Anselma or Selma. Through Anselma it ultimately goes back to Germanic elements meaning 'helmet' and 'protection.'

German namesEnglish namesNames meaning protectorNames meaning strengthVintage names

How popular is Zelma?

20245.1 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 Zelma in 202417

Peak year1904

Total US babies since 188016,919

Zelma is rising: use over the last five years is 2.2× what it was a decade earlier.

Names like Zelma

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

Zelma questions

What does the name Zelma mean?

Zelma means "helmet protection". It comes from Germanic. Usually explained as a short form of names such as Anselma or Selma. Through Anselma it ultimately goes back to Germanic elements meaning 'helmet' and 'protection.'

Is Zelma a boy or girl name?

Zelma is mainly a girl's name in US records (99% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Zelma?

17 US babies were named Zelma in 2024. Its peak year was 1904.

How do you pronounce Zelma?

Zelma is usually pronounced ZEL-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.