Zelma
Meaning
variant of Selma, shortened from Anselma, traditionally 'divine protection'
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Zelma peaked in the 1900s.
See popularity in Brazil
Popularity in Brazil
3,263 people · the #3,663 first name in Brazil · about 1 in 62,500 · median age 56
Among people named Zelma living in Brazil at the 2022 census, more were born in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022
When you meet Zelma
Most people given the name Zelma in the United States were born between 1940 and 1969. The Zelma you meet today is most often in her 60s or 70s.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Zelma deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Zelma 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 Zelma fits with your family’s names and surname.
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