Name profile

GirlEnglish language family

Thelma

Meaning unknown.

Quick answer

Thelma is a girl name.

GenderGirl
Language familyEnglish

Meaning and history

Meaning unknown. It was a rare name when British author Marie Corelli used it for the Norwegian heroine of her novel Thelma (1887). The name became popular around the end of the 19th century after the novel was published. It is sometimes claimed to derive from Greek θέλημα (thelema) meaning "will", though this seems unlikely.

Notes and context

Usage: english