Thelma

English, Literary, meaning unknown

Thelma Origin and Meaning

The name Thelma is a girl's name of Norwegian origin.

Though modern parents seeking to honor an ancestor named Thelma might opt for the airier Thea instead, Thelma is starting to make its way back onto adventurous vintage name lovers' radars. It is currently experiencing a modest revival in France, where it now ranks around the #300 mark.

The meaning of Thelma is unknown, although it is sometimes claimed to be derived from the Greek thelema "will". It was extremely rare as a given name until British writer Marie Corelli used it for the Norwegian heroine of her eponymous novel in 1893.

In the English-speaking world, Thelma is associated with Geena Davis' character in the iconic female-centred crime movie Thelma and Louise (1991). It was also the birth name of first lady Pat Nixon.

Thelma Rank in US Top 1000

# 976 in the US

Popularity of the name Thelma

• 1666 Nameberry 2025

20 Names Similar to Thelma

These 20 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Thelma.

• Edwina
• Wilma
• Gilda
• Geraldine
• Edna
• Muriel
• Eugénie
• Eunice
• Alberta
• Phyllis
• Francine
• Hilda
• Gladys
• Gretel
• Ethel
• Georgette
• Rhoda
• Mamie
• Frida
• Irma

Famous People Named Thelma

• Thelma Catherine "Pat" Nixon First Lady of the U.S.
• Thelma Ritter American actress
• Thelma Colbert Schoonmaker American film editor
• Thelma Alice Todd American '30s actress
• Thelma Ellen Wood American sculptor
• Thelma Houston American singer
• Thelma "Butterfly" McQueen American actress

The name Thelma in Pop Culture

• Thelma Yvonne Dickinson character in "Thelma and Louise"
• Thelma Bates character on "Hex"
• Thelma Bloggs character in "What a Misfortune" & "Draff"
• Thelma Mae Harper character on "Mama's Family"
• Thelma "Tib" Muller character in "Betsy,Tacy" series
• Thelma "Trixie" Norton character on "The Honeymooners"
• Thelma Evans character on TV's "Good Times"
• Thelma Lou character on "Andy Griffith" series
• Thelma character in "The Last Time I Saw Mother" by Arlene J. Chai, adoptive mother of main character Caridad