Nelma as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Nelma

What is the meaning of the name Nelma ?

The baby name Nelma is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced NELL-muh (IPA: /ˈnɛlmə/).

Nelma is Portuguese, Spanish in Origin.

Nelma is a feminine given name with several plausible roots. In Finland it is often treated as a clipped form of Anelma, a 20th-century coinage modeled on Finnish word-formation; Anelma echoes anelma "petition, entreaty," from the verb anella "to implore," giving Nelma an appealing sense of heartfelt request or prayer. Elsewhere, Nelma is viewed as a modern development from Nell, the long-standing nickname for Helen/Eleanor, with the -ma ending familiar from names like Thelma and Selma; in that line it carries Helen's classic association with "light."

The name saw modest use in Finland from the interwar years onward, and has occasional popularity in Portuguese-speaking countries, especially Brazil, since the mid-20th century. Variants and related forms include Anelma, Elma, Nelda, Nella, and Nelly; short forms may be Nel or Nella. Usage remains rare in the English-speaking world.