Zelma is an established girls' name that peaked in 1919 and has since faded.
Zelma is predominantly a girl name. In 2025 it ranked #7,128 for girl births in the United States (and #12,318 across all names), given to 16 babies. Zelma was first reported in SSA data in 1880 and peaked in 1919 (488 births).
| Year | U.S. births | U.S. + territories | ♀ Rank | ♂ Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 16 | 16 | #7,128 | — |
| 2024 | 17 | 17 | #6,922 | — |
| 2023 | 14 | 14 | #8,052 | — |
| 2022 | 12 | 12 | #9,052 | — |
| 2021 | 12 | 12 | #8,969 | — |
| 2020 | 10 | 10 | #10,237 | — |
| 2019 | 14 | 14 | #8,132 | — |
| 2018 | 16 | 16 | #7,405 | — |
| 2017 | 7 | 7 | #14,104 | — |
| 2016 | 13 | 13 | #8,865 | — |
| 2015 | 13 | 13 | #8,926 | — |
| 2014 | 6 | 6 | #16,482 | — |
| 2013 | 5 | 5 | #19,242 | — |
| 2012 | 5 | 5 | #19,498 | — |
| 2011 | 5 | 5 | #19,553 | — |
| 2010 | 8 | 8 | #13,434 | — |
| 2009 | 5 | 5 | #20,161 | — |
| 2008 | 8 | 8 | #13,813 | — |
| 2007 | 5 | 5 | #20,544 | — |
| 2006 | 8 | 8 | #13,584 | — |
| 2005 | 8 | 8 | #12,999 | — |
| 2002 | 5 | 5 | #18,069 | — |
| 2000 | 6 | 6 | #15,019 | — |
| 1999 | 7 | 7 | #12,679 | — |
| 1998 | 7 | 7 | #12,417 | — |
| 1997 | 5 | — | #16,141 | — |
| 1996 | 8 | — | #10,563 | — |
| 1994 | 10 | — | #8,798 | — |
| 1992 | 8 | — | #10,473 | — |
| 1991 | 6 | — | #13,142 | — |
| 1989 | 7 | — | #10,841 | — |
| 1988 | 7 | — | #10,382 | — |
| 1987 | 6 | — | #11,320 | — |
| 1986 | 9 | — | #7,747 | — |
| 1985 | 10 | — | #6,954 | — |
| 1983 | 10 | — | #6,704 | — |
| 1982 | 8 | — | #8,223 | — |
| 1981 | 14 | — | #5,253 | — |
| 1980 | 7 | — | #9,093 | — |
| 1979 | 14 | — | #5,091 | — |
| 1978 | 10 | — | #6,383 | — |
| 1977 | 8 | — | #7,562 | — |
| 1976 | 12 | — | #5,210 | — |
| 1975 | 18 | — | #3,773 | — |
| 1974 | 15 | — | #4,226 | — |
| 1973 | 27 | — | #2,688 | — |
| 1972 | 17 | — | #3,713 | — |
| 1971 | 24 | — | #2,954 | — |
| 1970 | 18 | — | #3,576 | — |
| 1969 | 20 | — | #3,101 | — |
| 1968 | 28 | — | #2,359 | — |
| 1967 | 25 | — | #2,491 | — |
| 1966 | 43 | — | #1,735 | — |
| 1965 | 42 | — | #1,767 | — |
| 1964 | 44 | — | #1,780 | — |
| 1963 | 41 | — | #1,838 | — |
| 1962 | 57 | — | #1,495 | — |
| 1961 | 65 | — | #1,397 | — |
| 1960 | 62 | — | #1,404 | — |
| 1959 | 81 | — | #1,191 | — |
| 1958 | 83 | — | #1,172 | — |
| 1957 | 77 | — | #1,210 | — |
| 1956 | 96 | — | #1,050 | — |
| 1955 | 104 | — | #983 | — |
| 1954 | 120 | — | #877 | — |
| 1953 | 106 | — | #920 | — |
| 1952 | 96 | — | #965 | — |
| 1951 | 103 | — | #901 | — |
| 1950 | 120 | — | #793 | — |
| 1949 | 150 | — | #689 | — |
| 1948 | 115 | — | #809 | — |
| 1947 | 146 | — | #703 | — |
| 1946 | 143 | — | #670 | — |
| 1945 | 168 | — | #569 | — |
| 1944 | 157 | — | #598 | #3,429 |
| 1943 | 178 | — | #569 | — |
| 1942 | 181 | — | #553 | — |
| 1941 | 148 | — | #577 | — |
| 1940 | 190 | — | #501 | — |
| 1939 | 185 | — | #498 | #3,967 |
| 1938 | 194 | — | #477 | — |
| 1937 | 196 | — | #476 | #4,020 |
| 1936 | 185 | — | #471 | — |
| 1935 | 237 | — | #423 | — |
| 1934 | 280 | — | #393 | #2,972 |
| 1933 | 230 | — | #423 | — |
| 1932 | 303 | — | #368 | — |
| 1931 | 284 | — | #387 | — |
| 1930 | 375 | — | #338 | #4,541 |
| 1929 | 347 | — | #351 | — |
| 1928 | 377 | — | #353 | #4,149 |
| 1927 | 382 | — | #340 | — |
| 1926 | 362 | — | #354 | #4,198 |
| 1925 | 431 | — | #322 | — |
| 1924 | 422 | — | #330 | #4,968 |
| 1923 | 447 | — | #306 | — |
| 1922 | 476 | — | #296 | #3,250 |
| 1921 | 457 | — | #310 | #2,631 |
| 1920 | 448 | — | #308 | — |
| 1919 | 494 | — | #287 | #4,165 |
| 1918 | 479 | — | #294 | #3,366 |
| 1917 | 487 | — | #283 | #2,729 |
| 1916 | 471 | — | #276 | #4,531 |
| 1915 | 492 | — | #266 | #4,388 |
| 1914 | 373 | — | #271 | — |
| 1913 | 342 | — | #252 | — |
| 1912 | 307 | — | #255 | — |
| 1911 | 268 | — | #240 | — |
| 1910 | 220 | — | #259 | — |
| 1909 | 240 | — | #233 | — |
| 1908 | 199 | — | #243 | — |
| 1907 | 212 | — | #227 | — |
| 1906 | 188 | — | #233 | — |
| 1905 | 161 | — | #259 | — |
| 1904 | 198 | — | #218 | — |
| 1903 | 182 | — | #225 | #1,129 |
| 1902 | 189 | — | #216 | — |
| 1901 | 127 | — | #256 | — |
| 1900 | 131 | — | #287 | — |
| 1899 | 120 | — | #261 | — |
| 1898 | 104 | — | #309 | — |
| 1897 | 104 | — | #277 | — |
| 1896 | 82 | — | #323 | — |
| 1895 | 80 | — | #322 | — |
| 1894 | 77 | — | #321 | — |
| 1893 | 57 | — | #359 | — |
| 1892 | 56 | — | #357 | — |
| 1891 | 63 | — | #319 | — |
| 1890 | 52 | — | #357 | — |
| 1889 | 43 | — | #370 | — |
| 1888 | 42 | — | #412 | #1,177 |
| 1887 | 27 | — | #434 | — |
| 1886 | 32 | — | #386 | — |
| 1885 | 18 | — | #519 | — |
| 1884 | 29 | — | #376 | — |
| 1883 | 16 | — | #498 | — |
| 1882 | 21 | — | #405 | — |
| 1881 | 17 | — | #417 | — |
| 1880 | 19 | — | #387 | — |