Selma

#2,778 for girls in 2025, 61 births · Last seen for boys in 1961 at #4,065
Given to girls 98.8% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · girls
1891 · 206 births
Debut · girls
36 births
In top 100 · girls
never
of 146 years
Total births · girls
26,881
since 1880

Selma over time

girls

Rank among girls' names. Selma has never cracked the top 100 here.

#1#10#100#1,000#10,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201915peak #162, 1891girls
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#2,77861—
2024#2,77561—
2023#2,41574—
2022#2,72063—
2021#2,71563—
2020#2,17083—
2019#2,14087—
2018#2,30279—
2017#2,16088—
2016#2,06895—
2015#2,15288—
2014#1,853109—
2013#2,25982—
2012#2,51672—
2011#2,02696—
2010#2,23786—
2009#2,24487—
2008#2,20690—
2007#2,034100—
2006#1,939103—
2005#1,690117—
2004#1,643118—
2003#1,89696—
2002#2,22874—
2001#1,92290—
2000#2,03481—
1999#2,15370—
1998#2,22164—
1997#2,42354—
1996#2,84942—
1995#3,42232—
1994#4,52122—
1993#5,41917—
1992#3,41932—
1991#3,54030—
1990#3,15635—
1989#4,02024—
1988#3,58526—
1987#4,28319—
1986#3,27727—
1985#6,03111—
1984#3,99019—
1983#3,94919—
1982#3,17227—
1981#3,06628—
1980#3,31825—
1979#3,90319—
1978#3,38822—
1977#3,00226—
1976#3,40720—
1975#3,25921—
1974#3,69517—
1973#2,68926—
1972#2,90323—
1971#2,17537—
1970#2,04340—
1969#2,13435—
1968#2,05634—
1967#1,84840—
1966#1,51554—
1965#1,09791—
1964#1,41963—
1963#1,36166—
1962#1,15889—
1961#1,005116#4,0655
1960#1,12693—
1959#1,11891—
1958#1,11290#3,9445
1957#1,021105—
1956#940115—
1955#925113—
1954#945104#2,9428
1953#860118—
1952#914102#3,7345
1951#813121#3,7145
1950#876102—
1949#787120—
1948#747129#3,3166
1947#719140—
1946#679138#3,5255
1945#737102#2,3939
1944#655128#3,1096
1943#687122—
1942#585159—
1941#583144#3,5055
1940#565150#3,1306
1939#532156#2,8297
1938#486188#3,1756
1937#436225#3,1756
1936#413243#2,8547
1935#444212#2,7198
1934#400264—
1933#371296#3,6425
1932#352326#2,46510
1931#313420#2,20712
1930#272550#2,7819
1929#269563#3,5596
1928#264598#2,52211
1927#253669#2,52311
1926#254671#2,9049
1925#257668#2,75510
1924#246735#3,5057
1923#245703#3,1758
1922#246692#3,0149
1921#251704#2,9869
1920#233768—
1919#244682#2,15214
1918#223798#2,26013
1917#216786#2,7329
1916#227718#2,54310
1915#217741#2,18412
1914#214587#1,68714
1913#226455#2,8215
1912#229387#2,2696
1911#221321#1,5376
1910#221293#1,4216
1909#225250#1,2776
1908#210257#1,3735
1907#218231—
1906#193252—
1905#202224—
1904#194231—
1903#192218—
1902#183252—
1901#181242—
1900#201239—
1899#193206—
1898#192229—
1897#204183—
1896#176238—
1895#188208—
1894#183212—
1893#175211—
1892#175209—
1891#162206—
1890#182165—
1889#199133—
1888#190139—
1887#20897—
1886#20791—
1885#24268—
1884#23963—
1883#18980—
1882#23554—
1881#22747—
1880#25436—
First appearance
1880

In the first year the SSA published name data, Selma was already there! It came in at #254, and was given to 36 baby girls.


Quietest stretch: 1985, when fewer than 12 girls a year got the name.

Where Selma is popular in 1915

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Selma, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 girls named Selma, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 girls named Selma, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 girls named Selma, so not publishedNHWashington: fewer than 5 girls named Selma, so not publishedWAIdaho: fewer than 5 girls named Selma, so not publishedIDMontana: fewer than 5 girls named Selma, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: #87 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 303 girlsNDMinnesota: #113 for girls · 35 births · 1 in 567 girlsMNIllinois: #204 for girls · 36 births · 1 in 1,480 girlsILWisconsin: #128 for girls · 35 births · 1 in 605 girlsWIMichigan: #234 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 1,855 girlsMINew York: #136 for girls · 125 births · 1 in 732 girlsNYMassachusetts: #168 for girls · 26 births · 1 in 1,249 girlsMARhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Selma, so not publishedRIOregon: fewer than 5 girls named Selma, so not publishedORNevada: fewer than 5 girls named Selma, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 girls named Selma, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: #118 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 506 girlsSDIowa: #217 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 1,461 girlsIAIndiana: #207 for girls · 16 births · 1 in 1,428 girlsINOhio: #235 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 2,075 girlsOHPennsylvania: #204 for girls · 47 births · 1 in 1,856 girlsPANew Jersey: #159 for girls · 29 births · 1 in 935 girlsNJConnecticut: #200 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 1,670 girlsCTCalifornia: #193 for girls · 17 births · 1 in 1,097 girlsCAUtah: fewer than 5 girls named Selma, so not publishedUTColorado: #200 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 1,213 girlsCONebraska: #128 for girls · 16 births · 1 in 655 girlsNEMissouri: #184 for girls · 24 births · 1 in 1,101 girlsMOKentucky: #389 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 3,370 girlsKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 girls named Selma, so not publishedWVVirginia: #247 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 1,916 girlsVAMaryland: #120 for girls · 19 births · 1 in 631 girlsMDDelaware: fewer than 5 girls named Selma, so not publishedDEArizona: fewer than 5 girls named Selma, so not publishedAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 girls named Selma, so not publishedNMKansas: #248 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 1,670 girlsKSArkansas: #213 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 1,032 girlsARTennessee: #278 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 1,949 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #189 for girls · 27 births · 1 in 1,073 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #351 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 3,496 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Selma, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #314 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 2,101 girlsOKLouisiana: #328 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 2,103 girlsLAMississippi: #285 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 1,844 girlsMSAlabama: #202 for girls · 21 births · 1 in 1,108 girlsALGeorgia: #222 for girls · 20 births · 1 in 1,451 girlsGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Selma, so not publishedHITexas: #252 for girls · 35 births · 1 in 1,232 girlsTXFlorida: fewer than 5 girls named Selma, so not publishedFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. North Dakota#87 · 1 in 303
  2. Minnesota#113 · 1 in 567
  3. South Dakota#118 · 1 in 506
  4. Maryland#120 · 1 in 631
  5. Wisconsin#128 · 1 in 605

Best ever in a state: #49 in North Dakota, 1910.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
North Dakota#87221 in 303
Minnesota#113351 in 567
South Dakota#118101 in 506
Maryland#120191 in 631
Nebraska#128161 in 655
Wisconsin#128351 in 605
New York#1361251 in 732
New Jersey#159291 in 935
Massachusetts#168261 in 1,249
Missouri#184241 in 1,101
North Carolina#189271 in 1,073
California#193171 in 1,097
Colorado#20051 in 1,213
Connecticut#20071 in 1,670
Alabama#202211 in 1,108
Illinois#204361 in 1,480
Pennsylvania#204471 in 1,856
Indiana#207161 in 1,428
Arkansas#213151 in 1,032
Iowa#217131 in 1,461
Georgia#222201 in 1,451
Michigan#234151 in 1,855
Ohio#235221 in 2,075
Virginia#247121 in 1,916
Kansas#24881 in 1,670
Texas#252351 in 1,232
Tennessee#278111 in 1,949
Mississippi#28591 in 1,844
Oklahoma#31481 in 2,101
Louisiana#32881 in 2,103
South Carolina#35151 in 3,496
Kentucky#38971 in 3,370
Alaska———
Arizona———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Florida———
Hawaii———
Idaho———
Maine———
Montana———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
New Mexico———
Oregon———
Rhode Island———
Utah———
Vermont———
Washington———
West Virginia———
Wyoming———

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the girls born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Selma
Momentum · girls
Falling
  • 3 spots since 2024 (#2,775 → #2,778)
  • 608 spots since 2020 (#2,170 → #2,778)
  • 626 spots since 2015 (#2,152 → #2,778)
  • Biggest jump: 63 spots in 1951 (#876 → #813)
  • Biggest drop: 102 spots in 1943 (#585 → #687)
Rise & fade · girls
11 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 1891 at #162 (206 births)
  • Births halved by 1945, 54 yrs later
Top of the charts · girls
Top 1,000 for 77 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: never
  • Top 1,000: 77 yrs · run 1880–1956
Share of babies · girls
1 in 900
  • Highest: 1 in 900 girls born in 1891 were named Selma (0.11%)
  • Latest: 1 in 26,349 girls born in 2025 (0.00%)
Era · girls
The 1920s
  • 25.2% of all girls named Selma (6,771) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s808#189 (1883)#219
1890s2,067#162 (1891)#183
1900s2,396#181 (1901)#200
1910s5,768#214 (1914)#224
1920s6,771#233 (1920)#252
1930s2,880#272 (1930)#402
1940s1,332#565 (1940)#674
1950s1,061#813 (1951)#952
1960s681#1,005 (1961)#1,472
1970s251#2,043 (1970)#3,046
1980s225#3,066 (1981)#3,869
1990s398#2,153 (1999)#3,312
2000s956#1,643 (2004)#1,984
2010s882#1,853 (2014)#2,171
2020s405#2,170 (2020)#2,596

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 girls in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Selma in 1915

girls
#217
741 births · 1 in 1,328 girls
boys
#2,184
12 births · 1 in 70,715 boys

Top girls' names in 1915

  1. #1Mary58,187
  2. #2Helen30,866
  3. #3Dorothy25,154
  4. #4Margaret23,054
  5. #5Ruth21,878
  6. #6Mildred15,254
  7. #7Anna15,119
  8. #8Elizabeth14,103
  9. #9Frances12,786
  10. #10Evelyn11,595
  11. #217Selma741

Top boys' names in 1915

  1. #1John47,576
  2. #2William38,563
  3. #3James33,773
  4. #4Robert28,737
  5. #5Joseph23,051
  6. #6George22,307
  7. #7Charles21,960
  8. #8Edward15,889
  9. #9Frank15,006
  10. #10Thomas11,490
  11. #2,184Selma12
More about 1915

girls

983,852 girls got a published name in 1915; 1 in 1,328 of them was named Selma, which outranked 95.6% of the 4,967 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.2% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Selma
  1. #214Maude771
  2. #215Etta766
  3. #216Elva753
  4. #217Selma741
  5. #218Margie740
  6. #219Mollie738
  7. #220Constance728
Biggest movers since 1914
Risers
  1. ↑ 500Gerda#1,444 → #944
  2. ↑ 451Theda#1,034 → #583
  3. ↑ 441Dominga#1,385 → #944
  4. ↑ 354Vernon#1,344 → #990
  5. ↑ 308Loyce#1,147 → #839
Fallers
  1. ↓ 383Drusilla#956 → #1,339
  2. ↓ 342Rossie#798 → #1,140
  3. ↓ 335Arlie#855 → #1,190
  4. ↓ 329Orene#956 → #1,285
  5. ↓ 329Margot#988 → #1,317

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

848,575 boys got a published name in 1915; 1 in 70,715 of them was named Selma, which outranked 50.3% of the 4,390 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 30.4% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Selma
  1. #2,070Yutaka13
  2. #2,070Zigmond13
  3. #2,070Zygmund13
  4. #2,184Selma12
  5. #2,184Adalbert12
  6. #2,184Albion12
  7. #2,184Aldon12
  8. #2,310Abbie11
  9. #2,310Agapito11
  10. #2,310Agostino11

Tied with 125 names at #2,184; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1914
Risers
  1. ↑ 691Eston#1,687 → #996
  2. ↑ 565Estill#1,545 → #980
  3. ↑ 545Garth#1,260 → #715
  4. ↑ 474Hiroshi#1,342 → #868
  5. ↑ 439Domingo#1,101 → #662
Fallers
  1. ↓ 674Gilmore#986 → #1,660
  2. ↓ 667Barnett#933 → #1,600
  3. ↓ 526Rose#884 → #1,410
  4. ↓ 517Toivo#855 → #1,372
  5. ↓ 461Sampson#949 → #1,410

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1915 →