Given name & surname · also Germanic
Wilma
“determined protector”
In German use, Wilma is a short form of Wilhelmina. In German use, Wilhelmina carries the interpretation “determined protector.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In German use, Wilma is a short form of Wilhelmina. In German use, Wilhelmina carries the interpretation “determined protector.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Wilma comes from Germanic, and ultimately from Germanic languages.
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
How it developed
In German use, Wilma is used as a contracted form of Wilhelmina.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Wilma through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 140,855
- 754 boys · 140,101 girls
- Most popular year
- 1925
- 4,202 babies
- 2025
- 41
- #3,705 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +8%
- Steady
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 41 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 3,705 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 7.5% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 4,175 in 1925. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 49,398 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Wilma’s family of names
In German usage, Wilma is a diminutive of Wilhelmina. Wilma has a conventional naming counterpart in William. In Finnish usage, Wilma has an alternative spelling in Vilma.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Wilma has relatives in 8 languages. Lines run from its Proto-Germanic roots to each of them.
3 related names in 8 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 4
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 2
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Wilma
- Wilma RudolphAmerican athlete (1940–1994)
- Wilma MankillerPrinciple Chief of the Cherokee Nation (1945–2010)
- Wilma HelteläFinnish pole vaulterborn 1998
- Wilma NerudaMoravian violinist (1838–1911)
- Wilma StockenströmSouth African writerborn 1933
- Wilma van Velsenswimmerborn 1964
- Wilma EllesGerman actressborn 1986
- Wilma van den BergTrack and field athleteborn 1947
- Wilma Labatefilm directorborn 1949
Characters named Wilma: Wilma Flintstone (the television animated series The Flintstones).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Wilma, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Irma
“a universal woman”
>99% girls
Velma
“determined protector”
>99% girls
Elma
“having God's protection”
>99% girls
Tilda
“one who is mighty in battle”
>99% girls
Delma
“a noble protector”
15% boys · 85% girls
Hilda
“a battlemaiden”
>99% girls
Erma
“one who is complete; universal”
>99% girls
Melba
“from the city of Melbourne”
>99% girls