Norma is a female name. It is of Germanic and

Romance Romance (from Vulgar Latin , "in the Roman language", i.e., "Latin") may refer to: Common meanings * Romance (love), emotional attraction towards another person and the courtship behaviors undertaken to express the feelings * Romance languages, ...

origin. A single instance of the name ''Norma'' is recorded 1203, where it perhaps derives from the Latin word ''norma'', meaning "precept". The name's general usage seems to be subsequent to the 1831 debut of

Vincenzo Bellini Vincenzo Salvatore Carmelo Francesco Bellini (; 3 November 1801 – 23 September 1835) was a Sicilian opera composer, who was known for his long-flowing melodic lines for which he was named "the Swan of Catania". Many years later, in 1898, Gius ...

's opera ''

Norma Norma may refer to: * Norma (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) Astronomy *Norma (constellation) *555 Norma, a minor asteroid * Cygnus Arm or Norma Arm, a spiral arm in the Milky Way galaxy Geography *Norma, Lazi ...

'' whose librettist

Felice Romani Giuseppe Felice Romani (31 January 178828 January 1865) was an Italian poet and scholar of literature and mythology who wrote many librettos for the opera composers Donizetti and Bellini. Romani was considered the finest Italian librettist betw ...

borrowed the name (and the plot) from the recent tragedy ''Norma'' by

Alexandre Soumet Alexandre Soumet (; 18 February 178830 March 1845) was a French poet. Biography Alexandre Soumet was born at Castelnaudary, ''département'' of Aude. His love of poetry began at an early age. He was an admirer of Klopstock and Schiller, then li ...

. Soumet's choice of name for his title character may possibly have been influenced by the name of the Germanic mythological Norns. The name has fluctuated in popularity over the past 100 years. It is still a very common name in the United States, but the name was most often given to babies in the 1930s, and is now seldom given. More recently ''Norma'' has been used as a female equivalent of the name ''

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...

'', meaning "Norseman".

Notable people named Norma

Norma Alarcón Norma Alarcón (born November 30, 1943) is a Chicana author and publisher in the United States. She is the founder of Third Woman Press and a major figure in Chicana feminism. She is Professor Emerita of Chicano/Latino Studies at the University ...

(born 1943), Chicana author and publisher in the United States *

Norma Aleandro Norma Aleandro (born 2 May 1936) is an Argentine actress. She is considered one of the most celebrated and prolific Argentine actresses of all time and is recognized as a cultural icon in her home country. Aleandro starred in the 1985 film '' T ...

(born 1936), an Argentine actress * Norma Alvares, Indian lawyer, social worker and environmental activist * Norma Amezcua (born 1953) is a Mexica,n former butterfly, freestyle and medley swimmer * Norma Andrade, founding member of Mexican non-profit association Nuestras Hijas de Regreso a Casa A.C. * Norma Andrews, cell biologist and professor * Norma Argentina (born 1948), Argentine actress *

Norma Ashby Norma Rae Beatty Ashby (born December 27, 1935) was the co-host for 26 years of Today in Montana, broadcast live on KRTV in Great Falls, Montana. Her career with the station began in February 1962, and she was inducted into the Montana Broadc ...

(born 1935), television broadcaster *

Norma Cole Norma Cole (born May 12, 1945) is a Canadian poet, visual artist, translator, and curator. An Anglophone Canadian by birth, Cole learned French at an early age, and went on to translate the works of French poets Emmanuel Hocquard, Danielle Coll ...

(born 1945), a visual artist, translator and American poet * Norma Egstrom, the birth name of Peggy Lee, an actress, singer and songwriter * Norma Alicia Moreno Figueroa (1962–1986), Mexican journalist * Norma Foley (born 1970), Irish politician *

Norma Angélica Ladrón de Guevara Norma Angélica Ladrón de Guevara González (1937 – 30 December 1962) was a Mexican actress. She is best remembered for her appearance on the film ''Tlayucan'' (1962), for which she posthumously won the Silver Goddess for Best Actress in 1963 ...

(1937–1962), Mexican actress *

Norma Khouri Norma Khouri is the pen name of author Norma Bagain Toliopoulos (born Norma Bagain in Jordan in 1970). She is the author of the book titled '' Forbidden Love'' (known under its original title in Australia, Britain, and Commonwealth nations and as '' ...

(born 1970), a Jordanian author *

Norma Klein Norma Klein (May 13, 1938 – April 25, 1989) was a US young adults' book author. She was born, grew up and lived in New York City for most of her life, and studied Russian at Barnard College. She died, after a brief illness, in New York City on ...

(1938–1989), an American author *

Norma Kuhling Norma Zea Kuhling (born 1990) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Dr. Ava Bekker in the NBC medical drama series ''Chicago Med'' and as Jo Mitchel in the 2019 independent film '' Fourteen''. Career Kuhling's early roles includ ...

(born 1990), an American actress *

Norma MacMillan Norma MacMillan (September 15, 1921 – March 16, 2001) was a Canadian actress, best known for voicing numerous characters in animation and claymation, including Casper the Friendly Ghost on '' The New Casper Cartoon Show'', Gumby on '' The ...

(1921–2001), a Canadian voice actress *

Norma Major Dame Norma Christina Elizabeth, Lady Major, (, formerly Johnson; born 12 February 1942) is an English philanthropist who is the wife of former British prime minister Sir John Major. Early life Norma Christina Elizabeth Wagstaff is the daught ...

(born 1942), wife of British Prime Minister John Major *

Norma Abdala de Matarazzo Norma Amanda "Chuchi" Abdala de Matarazzo (born 13 April 1948) is an Argentine politician who sat as a member of the Argentine Chamber of Deputies from 2009 to 2021. She served as Second Vice President of the Chamber from 2011 to 2015. Since 2 ...

(born 1948), Argentine politician *

Norma Fox Mazer Norma Fox Mazer (May 15, 1931 – October 17, 2009) was an American author and teacher, best known for her books for children and young adults. Her novels featured credible young characters confronting difficult situations such as family separati ...

(1931–2009), Jordanian author *

Norma McCorvey Norma Leah Nelson McCorvey (September 22, 1947 – February 18, 2017), also known by the pseudonym "Jane Roe", was the plaintiff in the landmark American legal case ''Roe v. Wade'' in which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1973 that individual ...

(born 1947), the "Jane Roe" in the "Roe v. Wade" abortion case *

Norma Jeane Mortenson Marilyn Monroe (; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; 1 June 1926 4 August 1962) was an American actress. Famous for playing comedic " blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as wel ...

(1926–1962, baptized Norma Jean Baker), the birth name of

Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe (; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; 1 June 1926 4 August 1962) was an American actress. Famous for playing comedic " blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as wel ...

, American actress and model * Norma Nolan, a 1962 Miss Universe * Norma Pujol (born 1988), Catalan politician *

Norma Shearer Edith Norma Shearer (August 11, 1902June 12, 1983) was a Canadian-American actress who was active on film from 1919 through 1942. Shearer often played spunky, sexually liberated ingénues. She appeared in adaptations of Noël Coward, Eugene O'N ...

(1901–1983), a Canadian-American actress and Hollywood star from 1925 to 1942 *

Norma Merrick Sklarek Norma Merrick Sklarek (April 15, 1926 – February 6, 2012) was an American architect. Sklarek was the first African American woman to become a licensed architect in the states of New York (1954) and California (1962). Her notable works include t ...

(1926–2012), African-American architect *

Norma Smallwood Norma Des Cygne Smallwood (May 12, 1909 – May 8, 1966) was the winner of the Miss America 1926 pageant. Early life Smallwood's hometown was Bristow, Oklahoma.Jackson, Debbie and Hilary Pittman"Throwback Tulsa: Ex-Miss America's divorce cas ...

(1909–1966), a Miss America for 1926 *

Norma Stitz Annie Hawkins-Turner, better known by the stage name Norma Stitz, is a website entrepreneur and fetish model. Her pseudonym is a word-play on "enormous tits", a result of gigantomastia. She holds the Guinness World Record for largest natural br ...

, a website entrepreneur and nude model *

Norma Talmadge Norma Marie Talmadge (May 2, 1894 – December 24, 1957) was an American actress and film producer of the silent era. A major box-office draw for more than a decade, her career reached a peak in the early 1920s, when she ranked among the most pop ...

(1894– 1957), a Hollywood star of the silent era *

Norma Teagarden Norma Louise Teagarden (April 28, 1911 – June 6, 1996) was an American jazz pianist. She was born in Vernon, Texas, United States, into a musical family that consisted of her mother Helen, who played ragtime piano and taught; her brothers Charl ...

(1911–1996), American jazz pianist *

Norma Waterson Norma Christine Waterson (15 August 1939 – 30 January 2022) was an English singer and songwriter, best known as one of the original members of The Watersons, a celebrated English traditional folk group. Other members of the group included ...

(1939–2022), English musician *

Norma Winstone Norma Ann Winstone MBE (born 23 September 1941) is an English jazz singer and lyricist. With a career spanning more than 50 years, she is best known for her wordless improvisations. Musicians with whom she has worked include Michael Garrick, ...

(born 1941), a British jazz singer and musician * Siti Norma Yaakob (born 1940), Malaysian lawyer and judge * Norma Azucena Rodríguez Zamora, Mexican politician affiliated with the Party of the Democratic Revolution. * Norma Bell and

Mary Bell Mary Flora Bell (born 26 May 1957) is an English woman who, as a juvenile, murdered two preschool-age boys in Scotswood, an inner suburb of Newcastle upon Tyne in 1968. Bell committed her first murder when she was 10 years old. In both instan ...

, murderous duo from the UK ( not related even though they have the same surname )

Fictional characters

*Grammy Norma is a character in the 2012 animated movie ''

The Lorax ''The Lorax'' is a children's book written by Dr. Seuss and published in 1971. It chronicles the plight of the environment and the Lorax, the titular character, who "speaks for the trees" and confronts the Once-ler, a business magnate who cause ...

''. The voice over was done by Betty White.imdb.com *Norma, a cow villager from the video game series ''

Animal Crossing is a social simulation video game series developed and published by Nintendo. The series was conceptualized and created by Katsuya Eguchi and Hisashi Nogami. In ''Animal Crossing'', the player character is a human who lives in a village inhab ...

'' *

, a minor character from Square's console role-playing game ''Final Fantasy Mystic Quest'' *Norma Arnold, mother of Kevin Arnold in the 1988–1993 television series ''

The Wonder Years ''The Wonder Years'' is an American coming-of-age comedy/drama television series created by Neal Marlens and Carol Black. It ran on ABC from January 31, 1988, until May 12, 1993. The series premiered immediately after ABC's coverage of Super ...

'' * Norma Bates, a fictional character created by writer Robert Bloch * Norma Bates, a ''Passions'' character *Norma Cenva, a character from the three prequels to Frank Herbert's Dune novels *

Norma Desmond ''Sunset Boulevard'' (styled in the main title on-screen as ''SUNSET BLVD.'') is a 1950 American black comedy film noir directed and co-written by Billy Wilder, and produced and co-written by Charles Brackett. It was named after a major street ...

, a character in the film ''Sunset Boulevard'' *Norma Manders, a character in the 1984 American science fiction horror movie '' Firestarter'' *Norma Romano, a recurring character in the TV series '' Orange Is the New Black'' *Norma Watson, a character in the novel Carrie by Stephen King and film '' Carrie'' (1976) *Norma Rae Webster, heroine of the film ''

Norma Rae ''Norma Rae'' is a 1979 American drama film directed by Martin Ritt from a screenplay written by Irving Ravetch and Harriet Frank Jr. The film is based on the true story of Crystal Lee Sutton— which was told in the 1975 book ''Crystal Lee, a W ...

'' (1979) *Norma, a CPU seen in Mondstadt, Genshin Impact *Norma Khan, a character in '' Dead End: Paranormal Park''

External links

Website Behind the Name information about ''Norma''Secondary Source for Norma

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Norma Feminine given names