Zelma

Zelma is a primarily feminine given name, most commonly used in English-speaking countries. It is a variant of the name Selma 1, whose meaning is uncertain. Selma may be a short form of Anselma, the feminine form of Anselm, which itself derives from the Old German elements ansi "god" and helm "helmet, protection". Alternatively, Selma might have been inspired by James Macpherson's 18th-century poems, where it is the name of Ossian's castle. Zelma thus carries the same potential meanings as Selma: "protected by God" or a poetic reference.

Popularity and Usage

Zelma was among the 1,000 most popular names for girls in the United States between 1880 and 1955, peaking in 1902 at rank 216. It also enjoyed prominence in Latvia from 1920 to 1935, where it was among the top 100 names, and in Brazil from 1950 to 1960, where it ranked in the top 1,000. The name has since declined in usage.

Notable Bearers

• Unita Zelma Blackwell (1933–2019), American civil rights activist
• Zelma Blakely (1921–1978), British painter, printer, engraver, and illustrator
• Zelma Bogue (1880–1975), American politician
• Zelma Cēsniece-Freidenfelde (1892–1929), Latvian physician and politician
• Zelma Davis, Liberian-born singer who rose to fame in the early 1990s
• Zelma "Zee" Edgell (1940–2020), Belizean-born American writer and academic
• Zelma Hedin (1827–1874), Swedish actress
• Kathryn Grayson, born Zelma Kathryn Hedrick (1922–2010), American actress

• Meaning: Variant of Selma; possibly "protected by God" from Germanic elements
• Origin: Germanic, via Selma and Anselma
• Type: Feminine given name
• Usage Regions: English-speaking world, Latvia, Brazil