Gods helmet or peace
Zelma is often considered a diminutive or variant of Selma. It likely derives from the Germanic name Anselma, meaning 'God's helmet,' or from the Arabic name Salma, meaning 'peace.' It was a popular choice in the late 19th and early 20th centuries but has since become quite rare.
Less common today
Zelma isn't in the latest US Top 1000. It last peaked at #6,643 in 2024.
US births per 5-year period, 1990–present (SSA data).
American actress and singer of the 1920s and 30s
Opera singer and first African American woman to serve as a UN alternate delegate
19th-century Swedish stage actress
