Selma
Meaning
traditionally divinely protected (feminine form of Anselm)
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Selma peaked in the 1890s and the 1910s in nearly equal measure.
Popularity in Brazil
94,743 people · the #334 first name in Brazil · about 1 in 2,141 · median age 52
Among people named Selma living in Brazil at the 2022 census, more were born in the 1970s than in any other decade.
The census also counted 66 born between 2020 and August 2022, too recent a span to chart.
Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022
When you meet Selma
People given the name Selma in the United States span the generations: the middle half were born anywhere from 1940 to 2019. Age is the one thing the name won't tell you.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Selma deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Selma truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Selma fits with your family’s names and surname.
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