Elma is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Elma means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Elma across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Elma has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Elma is a girl name of Greek origin meaning “kind, or amiable”. A short form of names like Wilhelmina, also linked to Anselma.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 22,186 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 219 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 6 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 74 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Elma per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1918 (674/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2025 (31/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1983 (8/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1975 (3/yr).
Elma has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1918, when it ranked #441 nationally (given to 674 babies that year).
Wilma · Alma · Elmo · Eliam · Aloma · Ulma · Wylma · Elam
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