Telma
A feminine name of Ancient Greek origin meaning "peaceful".
Name Census estimates that about 237 living Americans carry the first name Telma. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Telma today is around 43 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Telma births was 1976 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Telma. 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.
People living today
237
~ 1 in 1,446,221 Americans
Peak year
1976
13 babies that year
Average age
43
years old
2024 SSA rank
#15,033
Tracked since 1915
Popularity
Telma: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Telma from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 10 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 70 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Telma 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 Telma during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Telmas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Telma
The name Telma is of Greek origin, derived from the word "telma," which means "marsh" or "swamp." It first appeared in ancient Greek literature and texts, often used to describe geographical features or locations surrounded by wetlands.
In the 5th century BC, the Greek historian Herodotus mentioned the name Telma in his work "The Histories," referring to a region in Cilicia (modern-day Turkey) known for its marshy terrain. This early usage suggests that the name was already in circulation during the classical period of ancient Greece.
Throughout the Byzantine Empire, which spanned from the 4th to the 15th century AD, the name Telma was occasionally used as a feminine given name, likely inspired by its connection to the natural landscape. However, it remained a relatively uncommon choice during this era.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Telma was a Byzantine noblewoman and scholar who lived in the 11th century. Known as Telma of Constantinople, she was renowned for her expertise in philosophy and her patronage of the arts and literature.
In the 16th century, a Greek-born Italian scholar named Telma Eugenio (1530-1592) gained recognition for his contributions to the study of ancient Greek texts and his translations of various works from Greek into Latin.
Another notable figure with the name Telma was Telma Mendoza (1846-1918), a Mexican writer and educator who played a significant role in promoting women's education and intellectual advancement in her country during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
In the world of literature, the name Telma appears in the works of several authors, including the Greek poet Konstantinos Kavafis, who wrote a poem titled "Telma" in the early 20th century, exploring themes of nostalgia and longing.
More recently, Telma Huerta Aguilera (1925-2018) was a prominent Mexican painter and sculptor whose vibrant works celebrated the rich cultural heritage and traditions of her native country.
While the name Telma has remained relatively uncommon throughout history, its Greek roots and associations with the natural world have imbued it with a sense of connection to the earth and its landscapes, making it a unique and evocative choice for a given name.
People
Telma + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Telma as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with T
Other first names starting with T with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Telma: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Telma?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 237 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Telma 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 1,446,221 US residents.
Is Telma a common name?
We classify Telma as "Very Rare". It ranks above 76.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 269 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Telma most popular?
The single biggest year for Telma was 1976, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Telma is about 43 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Telma a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Telma 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.
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.