Meaning & Origin
A female given name originating as a coinage.
Thelma is a girl's and boy's baby name coined by the Norwegian novelist Marie Corelli for her 1887 novel Thelma: A Society Novel, likely inspired by the Old Norse þelma or an invented fusion. Its exact etymology is uncertain — it is one of the rare names with a clear literary birthdate.
Thelma was a U.S. top-30 girls' name from the 1900s through the 1930s. The 1991 film Thelma & Louise, starring Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis, turned it into a symbol of female friendship, freedom, and rebellion. Few names carry that kind of cinematic charge. Thelma is overdue for a serious revival.