Elma
Girl name · #4353 in 2025 · Uniqueness 54/100
In 2025, 32 baby girls were named Elma, placing it at #4353 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #4488, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 56,250 girls born in 2025 was named Elma.
Babies named Elma per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
Elma first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 28 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1918, when 659 girls were named Elma — good for #249 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Elma against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Elma in class?
Elma scores 54 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Elma is most common
State-level data for Elma is sparse in 2025 — the name's footprint is too small for most states to report (the SSA suppresses counts under 5 per state for privacy).
Names like Elma
Statistically, parents drawn to Elma tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Selma, Elva, Wilma, Thelma, and Alta.
SelmaElvaWilmaThelmaAltaVitaNevaAlida
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Elma | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 32 | #4352 |
| 2024 | 30 | #4560 |
| 2023 | 23 | #5390 |
| 2022 | 25 | #5172 |
| 2021 | 32 | #4326 |
| 2020 | 18 | #6325 |
| 2019 | 27 | #4909 |
| 2018 | 32 | #4357 |
| 2017 | 32 | #4384 |
| 2016 | 27 | #4990 |
| 2015 | 31 | #4488 |
| 2014 | 27 | #5025 |
| 2013 | 23 | #5644 |
| 2012 | 35 | #4216 |
| 2011 | 33 | #4353 |
| 2010 | 31 | #4608 |
| 2009 | 37 | #4107 |
| 2008 | 37 | #4179 |
| 2007 | 39 | #3983 |
| 2006 | 37 | #3992 |
| 2005 | 47 | #3257 |
| 2004 | 37 | #3819 |
| 2003 | 51 | #2956 |
| 2002 | 40 | #3394 |
| 2001 | 48 | #2963 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Elma a popular girl name?
Elma ranked #4353 among girls in 2025 with 32 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #4488.
When was the name Elma most popular?
Elma peaked in 1918, when 659 American girls received the name (ranked #249 that year). Since 1918 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Elma?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 56,250 newborn American girls was named Elma. It scores 54/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.