Selma
Girl · SEL-ma
Selma is a girls' name. In 2025 it ranked 2,344th for girls in the UK (12 babies) and 2,778th for girls in the US (61 babies).
What does Selma mean?
Popularised by Macpherson's Ossian; also the Turkish form of Salma
Popularised by James Macpherson's Ossian poems, where it is a castle; Selma Lagerlöf was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.
- Say it
- SEL-ma
More on Wiktionary.
Is Selma a girl's or a boy's name?
Selma is a girls' name. In 2025, it was given to 12 girls in the UK and 61 girls in the US. Too few boys were given it to be listed.
How popular is Selma in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #2,344among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 12about 1 in 23,000 girls
- Five-year trend
- Risingup 39% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 12 girls in the UK were named Selma, making it the 2,344th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 2,159th. Its busiest year was 2017, with 29 girls.
Half of all the girls named Selma in the UK since 1996 were born between 2006 and 2017, the years shaded on the chart below.
Among girls in 2025, it was 2,276th in England and Wales.
Selma in the UK, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 12 | #2,344 |
| 2024 | 14 | #2,057 |
| 2023 | 17 | #1,798 |
| 2022 | 14 | #2,052 |
| 2021 | 12 | #2,325 |
| 2020 | 13 | #2,159 |
| 2019 | 9 | #2,792 |
| 2018 | 9 | #2,825 |
| 2017 | 29 | #1,248 |
| 2016 | 22 | #1,552 |
| 2015 | 24 | #1,431 |
| 2014 | 21 | #1,544 |
| 2013 | 18 | #1,727 |
| 2012 | 11 | #2,463 |
| 2011 | 18 | #1,696 |
| 2010 | 10 | #2,540 |
| 2009 | 9 | #2,695 |
| 2008 | 27 | #1,176 |
| 2007 | 19 | #1,477 |
| 2006 | 23 | #1,229 |
| 2005 | 23 | #1,172 |
| 2004 | 9 | #2,226 |
| 2003 | 12 | #1,730 |
| 2002 | 16 | #1,333 |
| 2001 | 8 | #2,150 |
| 2000 | 13 | #1,502 |
| 1999 | 6 | #2,559 |
| 1998 | 0 | – |
| 1997 | 8 | #2,073 |
| 1996 | 4 | #3,289 |
How popular is Selma in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #2,778among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 61about 1 in 26,000 girls
- Five-year trend
- Steadydown 21% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 61 girls in the US were named Selma, making it the 2,778th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 2,170th. Its busiest year was 1918, with 798 girls.
Half of all the girls named Selma in the US since 1880 were born between 1913 and 1937, the years shaded on the chart below.
Selma in the US, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 61 | #2,778 |
| 2024 | 61 | #2,775 |
| 2023 | 74 | #2,415 |
| 2022 | 63 | #2,720 |
| 2021 | 63 | #2,715 |
| 2020 | 83 | #2,170 |
| 2019 | 87 | #2,140 |
| 2018 | 79 | #2,302 |
| 2017 | 88 | #2,160 |
| 2016 | 95 | #2,068 |
| 2015 | 88 | #2,152 |
| 2014 | 109 | #1,853 |
| 2013 | 82 | #2,259 |
| 2012 | 72 | #2,516 |
| 2011 | 96 | #2,026 |
| 2010 | 86 | #2,237 |
| 2009 | 87 | #2,244 |
| 2008 | 90 | #2,206 |
| 2007 | 100 | #2,034 |
| 2006 | 103 | #1,939 |
| 2005 | 117 | #1,689 |
| 2004 | 118 | #1,642 |
| 2003 | 96 | #1,895 |
| 2002 | 74 | #2,225 |
| 2001 | 90 | #1,918 |
| 2000 | 81 | #2,030 |
| 1999 | 70 | #2,150 |
| 1998 | 64 | #2,218 |
| 1997 | 54 | #2,420 |
| 1996 | 42 | #2,845 |
| 1995 | 32 | #3,417 |
| 1994 | 22 | #4,516 |
| 1993 | 17 | #5,413 |
| 1992 | 32 | #3,413 |
| 1991 | 30 | #3,534 |
| 1990 | 35 | #3,151 |
| 1989 | 24 | #4,014 |
| 1988 | 26 | #3,580 |
| 1987 | 19 | #4,280 |
| 1986 | 27 | #3,275 |
| 1985 | 11 | #6,029 |
| 1984 | 19 | #3,989 |
| 1983 | 19 | #3,948 |
| 1982 | 27 | #3,171 |
| 1981 | 28 | #3,066 |
| 1980 | 25 | #3,318 |
| 1979 | 19 | #3,902 |
| 1978 | 22 | #3,388 |
| 1977 | 26 | #3,001 |
| 1976 | 20 | #3,406 |
| 1975 | 21 | #3,259 |
| 1974 | 17 | #3,695 |
| 1973 | 26 | #2,689 |
| 1972 | 23 | #2,903 |
| 1971 | 37 | #2,175 |
| 1970 | 40 | #2,043 |
| 1969 | 35 | #2,134 |
| 1968 | 34 | #2,056 |
| 1967 | 40 | #1,848 |
| 1966 | 54 | #1,515 |
| 1965 | 91 | #1,097 |
| 1964 | 63 | #1,419 |
| 1963 | 66 | #1,361 |
| 1962 | 89 | #1,158 |
| 1961 | 116 | #1,005 |
| 1960 | 93 | #1,125 |
| 1959 | 91 | #1,117 |
| 1958 | 90 | #1,111 |
| 1957 | 105 | #1,020 |
| 1956 | 115 | #939 |
| 1955 | 113 | #924 |
| 1954 | 104 | #944 |
| 1953 | 118 | #859 |
| 1952 | 102 | #913 |
| 1951 | 121 | #812 |
| 1950 | 102 | #875 |
| 1949 | 120 | #786 |
| 1948 | 129 | #746 |
| 1947 | 140 | #718 |
| 1946 | 138 | #679 |
| 1945 | 102 | #737 |
| 1944 | 128 | #655 |
| 1943 | 122 | #687 |
| 1942 | 159 | #585 |
| 1941 | 144 | #583 |
| 1940 | 150 | #565 |
| 1939 | 156 | #532 |
| 1938 | 188 | #486 |
| 1937 | 225 | #436 |
| 1936 | 243 | #413 |
| 1935 | 212 | #444 |
| 1934 | 264 | #400 |
| 1933 | 296 | #371 |
| 1932 | 326 | #352 |
| 1931 | 420 | #313 |
| 1930 | 550 | #272 |
| 1929 | 563 | #269 |
| 1928 | 598 | #264 |
| 1927 | 669 | #253 |
| 1926 | 671 | #254 |
| 1925 | 668 | #257 |
| 1924 | 735 | #246 |
| 1923 | 703 | #245 |
| 1922 | 692 | #246 |
| 1921 | 704 | #251 |
| 1920 | 768 | #233 |
| 1919 | 682 | #244 |
| 1918 | 798 | #223 |
| 1917 | 786 | #216 |
| 1916 | 718 | #227 |
| 1915 | 741 | #217 |
| 1914 | 587 | #214 |
| 1913 | 455 | #226 |
| 1912 | 387 | #229 |
| 1911 | 321 | #221 |
| 1910 | 293 | #221 |
| 1909 | 250 | #225 |
| 1908 | 257 | #210 |
| 1907 | 231 | #218 |
| 1906 | 252 | #193 |
| 1905 | 224 | #202 |
| 1904 | 231 | #194 |
| 1903 | 218 | #192 |
| 1902 | 252 | #183 |
| 1901 | 242 | #181 |
| 1900 | 239 | #201 |
| 1899 | 206 | #193 |
| 1898 | 229 | #192 |
| 1897 | 183 | #204 |
| 1896 | 238 | #176 |
| 1895 | 208 | #188 |
| 1894 | 212 | #183 |
| 1893 | 211 | #175 |
| 1892 | 209 | #175 |
| 1891 | 206 | #162 |
| 1890 | 165 | #182 |
| 1889 | 133 | #199 |
| 1888 | 139 | #190 |
| 1887 | 97 | #208 |
| 1886 | 91 | #207 |
| 1885 | 68 | #242 |
| 1884 | 63 | #239 |
| 1883 | 80 | #189 |
| 1882 | 54 | #235 |
| 1881 | 47 | #227 |
| 1880 | 36 | #254 |
Names like Selma
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Lola Ada Eva Rosa Matilda Ella Clara Etta Martha Cora Stella Mabel