Relma
A feminine name created by spelling the word "realm" backwards.
Name Census estimates that about 1 living Americans carry the first name Relma. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Relma today is around 87 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Relma births was 1920 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Relma. 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 Relma is about 87 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Relmas were born before 1949.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Relma. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
1
~ 1 in 342,754,338 Americans
Peak year
1920
8 babies that year
Average age
87
years old
1932 SSA rank
#3,847
Tracked since 1915
Popularity
Relma: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Relma from the 1910s through to the 1930s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 19 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1920s peak, Relma remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Relma 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 Relma 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 Relma
The name Relma has its origins in ancient Germanic languages, tracing back to the Proto-Germanic word "relmaz" which meant "peaceful" or "tranquil." This name was prevalent among various Germanic tribes during the early medieval period, particularly in regions that now encompass modern-day Germany, the Netherlands, and parts of Scandinavia.
Relma was a popular name among the Frankish nobility during the Merovingian dynasty, which ruled over what is now France from the 5th to the 8th centuries. One notable bearer of this name was Relma of Aquitaine, a Frankish noblewoman who lived in the 7th century and was known for her influential role in the court of King Dagobert I.
In the 9th century, a Benedictine abbess named Relma is recorded as having founded a monastery in the town of Reichenau, located in present-day Germany. This monastery became an important center of learning and culture during the Carolingian Renaissance.
During the High Middle Ages, the name Relma spread to other parts of Europe, including England and Scotland. One of the earliest recorded instances of this name in British history is Relma of Northumbria, a noblewoman who lived in the 11th century and was known for her patronage of the arts and literature.
In the 13th century, a German mystic and theologian named Relma of Strasbourg gained fame for her writings on spiritual matters and her involvement in the Dominican order. Her works were widely read and influential during the medieval period.
Another notable bearer of the name Relma was a Dutch painter from the 17th century, known as Relma van der Werff. She was renowned for her exquisite still-life paintings and portraits, which are now housed in various museums across Europe.
While the name Relma has become less common in modern times, it continues to hold a rich historical legacy, reflecting its roots in ancient Germanic cultures and its association with notable figures throughout the medieval and early modern periods.
People
Relma + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Relma as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Relma: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Relma?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Relma 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 342,754,338 US residents.
Is Relma a common name?
We classify Relma as "Very Rare". It ranks above 3.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 32 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Relma most popular?
The single biggest year for Relma was 1920, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Relma is about 87 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 Relma in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Relma a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Relma 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 Relma still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Relma 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 Relma 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 have Relma as a first name?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans are named Relma on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.