Wilma: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#3,705

among girls · ↑329 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Wilma · +11% vs 2024

How common

1 in 39,202

girls born in 2025

Peak year

1925

4,202 babies

All-time total

140,855

#289 all-time among girls

First recorded

1880

in Social Security records

Wilma popularity over time

140,855 babies have been named Wilma 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

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	212	–	212	21	–	#387
1890s	1,109	–	1,109	111	+423%	#181
1900s	4,012	10	4,022	402	+263%	#113
1910s	21,384	107	21,491	2,149	+434%	#80
1920s	39,127	220	39,347	3,935	+83%	#62
1930s	33,188	234	33,422	3,342	-15%	#65
1940s	21,192	128	21,320	2,132	-36%	#93
1950s	12,276	45	12,321	1,232	-42%	#171
1960s	4,526	10	4,536	454	-63%	#357
1970s	1,239	–	1,239	124	-73%	#735
1980s	609	–	609	61	-51%	#1,488
1990s	418	–	418	42	-31%	#2,200
2000s	285	–	285	29	-32%	#3,805
2010s	300	–	300	30	+5%	#3,672
2020s (to 2025)	224	–	224	37	+24%	#3,648

Where Wilma 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	41	0.03	outside top 500
2027	41	0.03	outside top 500
2028	42	0.03	outside top 500
2029	42	0.03	outside top 500
2030	42	0.03	outside top 500

The story of Wilma

Wilma is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #3,705 in 2025 with 41 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 140,855 American babies have been named Wilma. Its peak came in 1925, when 4,202 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 Wilma stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Wilma?

The median living Wilma is about 78 years old; half are between 69 and 86. An estimated 41 thousand people named Wilma are alive in the United States today.

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

Wilma 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	41	#3,705	–	–
2024	37	#4,034	–	–
2023	34	#4,269	–	–
2022	43	#3,648	–	–
2021	31	#4,501	–	–
2020	38	#3,838	–	–
2019	36	#4,070	–	–
2018	42	#3,672	–	–
2017	34	#4,300	–	–
2016	23	#5,781	–	–
2015	32	#4,483	–	–
2014	20	#6,433	–	–
2013	32	#4,536	–	–
2012	25	#5,545	–	–
2011	28	#5,057	–	–
2010	28	#5,100	–	–
2009	31	#4,800	–	–
2008	27	#5,430	–	–
2007	26	#5,519	–	–
2006	23	#5,893	–	–
2005	26	#5,109	–	–
2004	29	#4,701	–	–
2003	27	#4,803	–	–
2002	35	#3,805	–	–
2001	29	#4,314	–	–
2000	32	#3,975	–	–
1995	46	#2,684	–	–
1990	59	#2,200	–	–
1985	51	#2,099	–	–
1980	79	#1,517	–	–
1975	109	#1,082	–	–
1970	202	#735	–	–
1965	396	#477	–	–
1960	724	#362	–	–
1955	1,100	#248	–	–
1950	1,655	#171	7	#3,320
1945	1,890	#128	10	#2,391
1940	2,621	#93	21	#1,518
1935	3,361	#70	22	#1,492
1930	4,075	#68	27	#1,427
1925	4,175	#62	27	#1,449
1920	3,670	#78	17	#2,050
1915	2,773	#80	7	#3,386
1910	698	#119	–	–
1905	357	#158	–	–
1900	285	#187	–	–
1895	99	#281	–	–
1890	64	#316	–	–
1885	23	#445	–	–
1880	5	#942	–	–

Famous people named Wilma

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

1 Wilma Rudolph American athlete (1940–1994) Contemporary
2 Wilma Mankiller Cherokee Nation chief and activist (1945–2010) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Wilma?

The median living Wilma is about 78 years old. Half of all living Wilmas are between 69 and 86 years old.

How many people named Wilma are alive today?

An estimated 41 thousand people named Wilma are alive in the United States, based on 140,855 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Wilma mean?

A female given name from the Germanic languages, a contraction of Wilhelmina.

How popular is the name Wilma in 2025?

Wilma ranked #3,705 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 41 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Wilma?

140,855 babies have been named Wilma in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Wilma most popular?

Wilma peaked in 1925, when 4,202 newborns received the name.

Is Wilma a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Wilma rising or falling?

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

Will Wilma become more popular?

Wilma looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 42 girls named Wilma in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Wilma?

Well-known people named Wilma include Wilma Rudolph (athlete), Wilma Mankiller (writer).

Names like Wilma

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

Compare Wilma with similar names → More names starting with W →