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Girl · Germanic
Wilma
Say it: VIL-mah
Meaning
Short form of Wilhelmina, from Germanic wil 'will' and helm 'helmet, protection'.
Certainscholars agree on this meaning.
A short form that became an independent name in early 20th-century Germany and America.
Its wave through time
Fading since the 1930s
In the United States
- 140,641 babies given this name since 1880
- At its height in 1930, about 1 in 276 girls
- 37 babies in 2020
Through the ages
Used by
The family of the name
| English | Wilma |
|---|
Famous bearers
- Wilma Rudolph, Olympic sprinter
Names worth a look
Where this comes from
- National census records of the 19th and 20th centuries
- United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source
- United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source
Meanings and histories are compiled from the study of names and their languages and checked by a second review.
Meanings and histories are drawn from the study of names and their languages, each with a confidence rating; popularity figures come from official birth records. Name histories are a living field: if you know of a correction, we would be glad to hear it.