Baby Names US
girls' name ★ peaked 1921

Velma

Gender Girl · 1% boys Rank 2025 #5,903 Trend ↑ Rising 21%

Coined at the end of the 19th century, by analogy with Thelma and Wilma.

Rank 2025
#5,903
among girls · ↑2,504 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
21
named Velma
How common
1 in 76,537
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1921
2,613 babies
All-time total
87,202
#411 all-time among girls
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Velma popularity over time

87,202 babies have been named Velma since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.751.52.25318801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
GirlsBoys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s 358 – 358 36 – #277
1890s 2,099 – 2,099 210 +486% #139
1900s 6,558 31 6,589 659 +214% #90
1910s 18,631 112 18,743 1,874 +184% #88
1920s 22,875 145 23,020 2,302 +23% #105
1930s 14,250 109 14,359 1,436 -38% #127
1940s 9,272 38 9,310 931 -35% #188
1950s 6,861 15 6,876 688 -26% #267
1960s 3,696 – 3,696 370 -46% #407
1970s 1,134 – 1,134 113 -69% #783
1980s 512 – 512 51 -55% #1,474
1990s 191 – 191 19 -63% #2,931
2000s 97 – 97 10 -49% #7,805
2010s 107 – 107 11 +10% #5,992
2020s (to 2025) 111 – 111 19 +73% #5,298

Where Velma is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 girls Implied rank
2026 21 0.01 outside top 500
2027 22 0.01 outside top 500
2028 22 0.01 outside top 500
2029 22 0.01 outside top 500
2030 23 0.01 outside top 500

The story of Velma

Velma is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #5,903 in 2025 with 21 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 87,202 American babies have been named Velma. Its peak came in 1921, when 2,613 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1920s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Velma stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Velma?

The median living Velma is about 75 years old; half are between 65 and 84. An estimated 21 thousand people named Velma are alive in the United States today.

median 75 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Velma year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 21 #5,903 – –
2024 13 #8,407 – –
2023 22 #5,737 – –
2022 25 #5,298 – –
2021 15 #7,613 – –
2020 15 #7,546 – –
2019 14 #8,107 – –
2018 21 #5,992 – –
2017 8 #12,653 – –
2016 7 #14,238 – –
2015 6 #16,293 – –
2014 13 #8,940 – –
2013 9 #11,904 – –
2012 5 #19,377 – –
2011 15 #8,170 – –
2010 9 #12,219 – –
2009 10 #11,410 – –
2008 6 #17,375 – –
2007 5 #20,401 – –
2006 9 #12,376 – –
2005 7 #14,438 – –
2004 14 #8,230 – –
2003 11 #9,648 – –
2002 14 #7,805 – –
2001 9 #10,984 – –
2000 12 #8,518 – –
1995 13 #7,026 – –
1990 33 #3,356 – –
1985 35 #2,746 – –
1980 78 #1,527 – –
1975 93 #1,240 – –
1970 181 #783 – –
1965 362 #500 – –
1960 559 #407 – –
1955 634 #338 10 #2,750
1950 825 #267 – –
1945 861 #223 7 #2,982
1940 986 #188 8 #2,854
1935 1,352 #147 13 #2,123
1930 1,918 #127 15 #2,071
1925 2,177 #128 22 #1,676
1920 2,491 #105 18 #1,959
1915 2,287 #94 12 #2,300
1910 1,035 #90 8 #1,304
1905 722 #95 – –
1900 426 #141 – –
1895 208 #189 – –
1890 96 #257 – –
1885 32 #364 – –
1880 16 #434 – –

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Velma, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Velma?

The median living Velma is about 75 years old. Half of all living Velmas are between 65 and 84 years old.

How many people named Velma are alive today?

An estimated 21 thousand people named Velma are alive in the United States, based on 87,202 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Velma mean?

Coined at the end of the 19th century, by analogy with Thelma and Wilma.

How popular is the name Velma in 2025?

Velma ranked #5,903 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 21 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Velma?

87,202 babies have been named Velma in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Velma most popular?

Velma peaked in 1921, when 2,613 newborns received the name.

Is Velma a boy or girl name?

Velma is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 99% of babies with the name.

Is the name Velma rising or falling?

Velma is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Velma become more popular?

Velma is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 23 girls named Velma in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Velma

Names that sound and feel close to Velma: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Velma with similar names → More names starting with V →