Wilma
Masculine
Wilma is given to girls far more often — 140,101 girls against 754 boys since 1880. See Wilma as a girl name
Wilma is the short form of a long Germanic name, recorded here for boys as well as girls. One woman who carried it became, for a few days, the fastest woman in the world, having spent much of her childhood unable to walk.
How old is the name Wilma?
Wilma first appears in US birth records in 1908 — 117 years ago. The typical Wilma alive today was born around 1931, making them about 94 years old. About 100 people named Wilma are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Wilma most popular?
Wilma peaked in 1938, reaching #1275 nationally. See the whole 1938 chart.
Where it comes from
Origin, sound and short forms
Our story of Wilma
Wilma Rudolph had polio as a small child, lost the use of her left leg, and wore a brace for years while her family drove her weekly to a hospital a long way off and massaged the leg at home between trips. She was one of twenty-two children. She started running, made an Olympic team at sixteen, and at the next games won the hundred, the two hundred and the relay, becoming the first American woman to take three golds at one Olympics. The homecoming parade in her Tennessee town was, at her insistence, the first integrated public event the place had held.
Meaningnot established
Not established
The longer name is a double diminutive built on Wilhelm, whose Germanic elements are documented. This short form is recorded on its own and the record does not explain its use for both sexes.
Pronouncing Wilma
WIL-muh
Two syllables with the stress in front. There is nothing in it to get wrong.
Nicknames for Wilma
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1908
- Most boys named
- 192929 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #1275reached in 1938
- Change vs 1959
- +100.0%10 in 1961, from 5
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Wilma in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Wilma in Dutch — same name
- Wilma in German — same name
Wilmas among us
people named Wilma are estimated to be alive in the US today
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
Questions parents actually ask
Fashion outlook
Wilma sits outside the current charts, and that is its own kind of answer: naming cycles can only date the names they carried up. A name this rare has no decade stamped on it — it cannot go out of fashion, because it was never in.
Based on 146 years of naming cycles. How we read them
The trade-off
- It is read correctly at first sight and never needs spelling out loud.
- It is short on paper and quick for a child to learn to write.
- It is recorded for boys and for girls, so it does not force a reading on anyone.
- One cartoon character has owned the name in American minds for two generations.
- In America it reads as belonging to an older generation, which is either the appeal or the obstacle.
- This spelling goes overwhelmingly to girls but is recorded for boys as well, so a form will occasionally guess wrong.
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Wilma
Masculine
Frequently asked
- How many Wilmas are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 100 people named Wilma are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Wilma in 2025?
- Wilma is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 boy names.
- Will my child share the name Wilma with classmates?
- Wilma will almost certainly be the only one in school.
More W names
The most-given names starting with W, all years combined.
William#9 · Walter#251 · Willie#1315 · Wayne#652 · Wesley#52 · Wyatt#38 · Warren#240 · Wallace#960
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Wilma? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Wilma and another name?
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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