Pelma
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "friendly companion".
Name Census estimates that about 7 living Americans carry the first name Pelma. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Pelma today is around 75 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Pelma births was 1920 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Pelma. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Pelma is about 75 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Pelmas were born before 1961.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Pelma. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
7
~ 1 in 48,964,905 Americans
Peak year
1920
5 babies that year
Average age
75
years old
1952 SSA rank
#6,205
Tracked since 1920
Popularity
Pelma: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Pelma from the 1920s through to the 1950s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 10 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Pelma by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Pelma during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Pelma
The given name Pelma has its origins in the ancient Sumerian language, which was spoken in Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) around 3500 BCE. It is believed to be derived from the Sumerian word "pel-ma," which means "one who walks." This suggests that the name may have been given to individuals who were known for their physical endurance or prowess in walking long distances.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pelma can be found in a clay tablet from the city of Ur, dated around 2500 BCE. The tablet mentions a man named Pelma who was a high-ranking official in the court of King Shulgi. This ancient record serves as evidence that the name was in use during the Sumerian civilization's peak.
In later centuries, the name Pelma appeared in various ancient texts and historical records from the region. For instance, a merchant named Pelma is mentioned in a cuneiform tablet from the Babylonian era, circa 1800 BCE. This indicates that the name remained in use even after the decline of the Sumerian civilization.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Pelma. One of the earliest was Pelma of Samos (c. 600 BCE), a Greek philosopher who was a student of Thales and is credited with developing the concept of the "first cause" in philosophy. Another was Pelma the Younger (c. 400 BCE), an Athenian playwright whose works, unfortunately, have been lost to time.
In the medieval period, Pelma al-Fahri (1040-1109) was a renowned Arab mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of spherical trigonometry. His works were influential in the development of Islamic astronomy and were later translated into Latin, facilitating their dissemination in Europe.
During the Renaissance, Pelma Veneziano (1490-1546) was an Italian painter and architect who worked in the Venetian style. He is best known for his frescoes in the Palazzo Ducale in Venice, which are celebrated for their vivid colors and intricate details.
In more recent times, Pelma Hanou (1890-1964) was a French author and poet who wrote extensively about the experiences of women in rural France. Her works, such as "The Vineyard" and "Autumn Leaves," are considered important contributions to the literary canon of her era.
While the name Pelma may not be as common today as it once was, its ancient origins and rich history serve as a testament to the enduring legacy of names that have persisted through the centuries, carrying with them the stories and cultural influences of the civilizations that gave them birth.
People
Pelma + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Pelma as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with P
Other first names starting with P with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Pelma: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Pelma?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 7 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Pelma going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 48,964,905 US residents.
Is Pelma a common name?
We classify Pelma as "Very Rare". It ranks above 23.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 20 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Pelma most popular?
The single biggest year for Pelma was 1920, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Pelma is about 75 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Pelma in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Pelma a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Pelma in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Pelma still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Pelma in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Pelma can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Pelma?
Find out how many Americans are named Pelma on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.