Selma
Girl name · #2779 in 2025 · Uniqueness 80/100
Selma is currently the #2779 girl name in the United States — 61 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #2152, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 29,508 girls born in 2025 was named Selma.
The 145-year story
Selma first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 36 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1918, when 798 girls were named Selma — good for #223 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.
Babies named Selma per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Selma against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Selma in class?
Selma scores 80 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "rare" band. A high score means genuine rarity — your Selma will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Selma is most common
State-level data for Selma 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 Selma
Statistically, parents drawn to Selma tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Elma, Iona, Golda, Neva, and Lela.
ElmaIonaGoldaNevaLelaMinnaLillaMaida
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Selma | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 61 | #2778 |
| 2024 | 61 | #2775 |
| 2023 | 74 | #2415 |
| 2022 | 63 | #2720 |
| 2021 | 63 | #2715 |
| 2020 | 83 | #2170 |
| 2019 | 87 | #2140 |
| 2018 | 79 | #2302 |
| 2017 | 88 | #2160 |
| 2016 | 95 | #2068 |
| 2015 | 88 | #2152 |
| 2014 | 109 | #1853 |
| 2013 | 82 | #2259 |
| 2012 | 72 | #2516 |
| 2011 | 96 | #2026 |
| 2010 | 86 | #2237 |
| 2009 | 87 | #2244 |
| 2008 | 90 | #2206 |
| 2007 | 100 | #2034 |
| 2006 | 103 | #1939 |
| 2005 | 117 | #1690 |
| 2004 | 118 | #1643 |
| 2003 | 96 | #1896 |
| 2002 | 74 | #2228 |
| 2001 | 90 | #1922 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Selma a popular girl name?
Selma ranked #2779 among girls in 2025 with 61 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2152.
When was the name Selma most popular?
Selma peaked in 1918, when 798 American girls received the name (ranked #223 that year). Since 1918 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Selma?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 29,508 newborn American girls was named Selma. It scores 80/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "rare".
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.