Thelma is a female

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a f ...

. It was popularized by Victorian writer

Marie Corelli Mary Mackay (1 May 185521 April 1924), also called Minnie Mackey and known by her pseudonym Marie Corelli (, also , ), was an English novelist. From the appearance of her first novel '' A Romance of Two Worlds'' in 1886, she became a bestselli ...

who gave the name to the title character of her 1887 novel '' Thelma''. Although the character was supposed to be Norwegian, it is not a traditional Scandinavian name. It may be related to a Greek word meaning "will, volition" see ''

Thelema Thelema () is a Western esotericism, Western esoteric and occult social or spiritual philosophy and a new religious movement founded in the early 1900s by Aleister Crowley (1875–1947), an English writer, mystic, occultist, and ceremonial ma ...

''). Note that although consonant with another female given name, Selma, the two are not synonymous.

People with the name

* Thelma Akana Harrison (1905–1972), American politician *

Thelma Aoyama is a Japanese pop and Contemporary R&B, R&B singer. She is part Afro-Trinidadians and Tobagonians, Afro-Trinidadian and Japanese. She is known for her collaboration song with SoulJa, "Koko ni Iru yo" and her answer song "Soba ni Iru ne". In Sep ...

(born 1987), Japanese pop singer *

Thelma Barlow Thelma Barlow (''née'' Pigott; born 19 June 1929) is an English television actress and writer, known for her roles as Mavis Wilton in the long-running ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' and as Dolly Bellfield in the BBC One sitcom '' dinne ...

(born 1929), English actress * Thelma Carpenter (1922–1997), American jazz singer and actress * Thelma Cazalet-Keir (1899–1989), British politician *

Thelma Drake Thelma Day Drake (born November 20, 1949) is an American politician and former member of Congress for Virginia's 2nd congressional district. A Republican Party (United States), Republican, she served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 200 ...

(born 1949), American politician * Thelma Eisen (1922–2014), American baseball player * Thelma Fardin (born 1992), Argentine actress * Thelma Forbes (1910–2012), Canadian politician * Thelma Furness, Viscountess Furness (1904–1970), mistress of King Edward VIII *

Thelma Harper (politician) Thelma M. Harper (December 2, 1940 – April 22, 2021) was an American politician and the first African-American woman state senator in Tennessee and the longest-serving female state senator in Tennessee history. She was also the first African-A ...

(1940–2021), Tennessee politician * Thelma Hill (1906–1938), American silent screen actress *

Thelma Holt Thelma Holt (born 4 January 1932) is a British theatre producer and former actress. After a successful career as an actress, in partnership with Charles Marowitz, Holt founded the Open Space Theatre in Tottenham Court Road, London, which bec ...

(born 1932), stage actress and producer *

Telma Hopkins Telma Louise Hopkins (born October 28, 1948) is an American actress and pop singer. Hopkins rose to prominence as a member of the pop group Tony Orlando and Dawn, who had several number-one songs. She also performed on the CBS variety show ''T ...

(born 1948), American singer and actress *

Thelma Hopkins (athlete) Thelma Elizabeth Hopkins (16 March 1936 – 10 January 2025) was a Northern Irish athlete who competed in the high jump and the long jump. She won the high jump silver medal at the 1956 Summer Olympics, 1956 Melbourne Olympics and was 1954 Euro ...

(1936–2025), Northern Irish athlete *

Thelma Houston Thelma Houston ( Jackson; born May 7, 1943) is an American singer and actress. Beginning her recording career in the late 1960s, Houston scored a number-one hit in 1977 with her recording of " Don't Leave Me This Way", which won the Grammy for ...

(born 1943), American singer * Thelma Leeds (1910–2006), American actress *

Thelma Coyne Long Thelma Dorothy Coyne Long (née Coyne; 14 October 1918 – 13 April 2015) was an Australian tennis player and one of the female players who dominated Australian tennis from the mid-1930s to the 1950s. During her career, she won 19 Grand S ...

(1918–2015), Australian tennis player * Thelma Nava (1932–2019), Mexican poet, magazine co-founder, publisher, journalist * Thelma "Pat" Nixon (1912–1993), First Lady of the United States * Thelma Parr (1906–2000), American actress * Thelma Pressman (1921–2010), American microwave cooking consultant and cookbook author * Thelma Rodgers, Antarctic scientist from New Zealand *

Thelma Ritter Thelma Ritter (February 14, 1902 – February 5, 1969) was an American character actor, character actress who, known for her strong New York City English, New York City accent, diminutive size, and plain look, favored working-class roles. She ear ...

(1902–1969), American actress *

Thelma Schoonmaker Thelma Schoonmaker (; born January 3, 1940) is an American film editor, best known for her collaboration over five decades with director Martin Scorsese. She has received numerous accolades, including three Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards, and ...

(born 1940), American film editor * Thelma Terry (1901–1966), American bandleader * Thelma Thall (born 1924), American two-time world table tennis champion *

Thelma Todd Thelma Alice Todd (July 29, 1906 – December 16, 1935) was an American actress and businesswoman who carried the nicknames "The Ice Cream Blonde" and "Hot Toddy". Appearing in about 120 feature films and shorts between 1926 and 1935, she ...

(1906–1935), American actress and businesswoman * Thelma Toole (1901–1984), mother of American author John Kennedy Toole * Thelma Van Norte (1912–1985), American medical records librarian * Thelma Votipka (1906–1972), American opera singer * Thelma Wood (1901–1970), American artist and lover of Djuana Barnes * Thelma (musician), American musician

Fictional characters

* Thelma Bates, from the TV series ''Hex'' * Thelma Evans, in the sitcom ''Good Times'' * Thelma Harper, from ''The Carol Burnett Show'' and ''Mama's Family'' * Thelma Lou, on ''The Andy Griffith Show'' * Thelma Griffin, from ''Family Guy'' * Thelma, a professional wrestler in the logic problems by Anita Harnadek * Thelma Dickinson from the 1991 film ''

Thelma and Louise Thelma is a female given name. It was popularized by Victorian writer Marie Corelli who gave the name to the title character of her 1887 novel '' Thelma''. Although the character was supposed to be Norwegian, it is not a traditional Scandinavian n ...

'' * Thelma, protagonist of the eponymous 2017 film '' Thelma'' * T.H.E.L.M.A. an android from the Nickelodeon sci-fi series, '' Space Cases'' * Thelma, a character referred to as "New Thelma" in the '' Junie B. Jones'' book series

References

{{Given name English feminine given names Feminine given names