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Selma as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Selma

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The baby name Selma is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈsɛlmə/ (SELL-ma).

Selma is Arabic in Origin.

Gender: Female
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: Arabic
Pronunciation: /ˈsɛlmə/ (SELL-ma)

What is the meaning of the name Selma ?

The baby name Selma is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈsɛlmə/ (SELL-ma).

Selma is Arabic in Origin.

Selma carries layered origins across cultures. In Arabic and languages influenced by it (Turkish, Bosnian), Selma parallels Salma, from the root s-l-m meaning "safe, intact; peaceful." In Germanic usage it can contract Anselma, the feminine of Anselm (ans "divine powers" + helm "helmet"), yielding "protected by the gods." The name also circulated through 18th-century Romantic literature, where Macpherson's Ossianic epics used Selma as the name of a heroic hall, adding a poetic aura.

Adopted widely in the 19th century, Selma flourished in Scandinavia, helped by Swedish novelist and Nobel laureate Selma Lagerlöf, and has seen periodic revivals in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. In the United States it ranked well in the early 1900s and retains a vintage charm, with added recognition from the Alabama city prominent in civil-rights history. Variants and related forms include Salma/Salmah, Selima/Salima, Anselma, and Zelma.

Selma has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Selma

Selma Blair Actor · Born 1972 · United States Selma Blair is an American actress best known for films like Cruel Intentions, Legally Blonde, and the Hellboy movies. Born on June 23, 1972, she became widely recognized for her sharp, memorable performances in both comedies and dramas. Selma Ergeç Actor · Born 1978 · Turkey Selma Ergeç is a Turkish-German actress best known for playing Hatice Sultan in Muhteşem Yüzyıl. She has also appeared in popular productions like Asi, Vatanım Sensin, and Kırımlı, and is also known as a model and former beauty pageant titleholder. Selma Björnsdóttir Actor · Born 1974 · Iceland Selma Björnsdóttir, known as Selma, is an Icelandic singer and actress best known for representing Iceland at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1999 and 2005. Born in Reykjavík in 1974, she became internationally known through Eurovision, including her 1999 entry "All Out of Luck."

Celebrity babies named Selma

Name Last Name(s) Mother Mother famous for Fame Level Father Father famous for Fame Level
Selma Sunniva Cæcilia Holbek Trier film director ★★★★★ Lars von Trier film director ★★★★★

Selma – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Germany Girls 2025 #1 — 411
Ireland Girls 2015 #1 — 945
NA Girls 0 #3 1,556 7,146
Sweden Girls 2022 #5 538 1,568
NA 0 #5 34 2,537
Norway Girls 2025 #9 292 453
NL Girls 2014 #38 34 73
Iceland Girls 0 #39 25 132
CM 0 #55 2 2,592
LU 0 #63 4 2,830
RS Girls 0 #68 75 1,651
RS 0 #69 16 923
AZ Girls 0 #74 2 1,051
SI 0 #74 7 1,612
AL 0 #75 2 2,372
AO 0 #75 3 2,729
JP 0 #77 1 4,057
SD 0 #85 16 2,130
JM 0 #93 1 3,714
TW 0 #103 1 4,523
TR 0 #106 23,035 19,440
GE Girls 0 #108 1 1,564
BN Girls 0 #113 2 5,459
Switzerland Girls 2024 #114 22 1,786
HU 0 #115 1 1,675
KW 0 #119 3 5,216
CY Girls 0 #125 1 3,755
MU 0 #133 5 3,613
SI Girls 0 #133 42 2,769
GR 0 #134 2 3,911
France Girls 2021 #135 381 3,185
PA 0 #137 2 3,797
BR Girls 0 #138 3,690 12,708
EE Girls 0 #138 5 1,888
JO 0 #140 1 2,158
LU Girls 0 #147 39 4,850
SD Girls 0 #147 284 7,678
MT Girls 0 #149 5 3,773
BW Girls 0 #151 1 4,216
RS Boys 0 #151 4 2,277
BW Boys 0 #153 2 4,685
Belgium Girls 2024 #162 24 424
AE 0 #165 13 10,220
PR Girls 0 #166 2 3,171
HR 0 #173 9 2,081
AO Girls 0 #174 36 4,575
DK 0 #177 27 5,198
Austria 0 #178 36 850
AL Girls 0 #181 42 4,141
UY 0 #182 1 2,477
Finland Girls 2026 #184 2,496 3,895
CZ 0 #186 1 3,154
DK Girls 0 #188 146 7,429
GR Girls 0 #198 45 6,293
NA Boys 0 #206 30 6,830
Austria Girls 0 #208 276 1,885
BG Girls 0 #210 14 3,559
SI Boys 0 #210 2 3,402
PL 0 #212 1 2,600
JP Girls 0 #221 25 6,592
HR Girls 0 #222 68 3,687
PS 0 #226 1 5,692
IR 0 #230 2 4,221
PT 0 #234 13 4,161
DZ 0 #238 3,107 20,130
BR 0 #241 106 5,969
GH 0 #245 4 5,396
EC Girls 0 #258 1 3,650
HR Boys 0 #258 2 3,997
MO Girls 0 #261 3 7,056
PT Girls 0 #268 211 7,952
Germany Girls 0 #276 1,073 4,949
JM Girls 0 #276 3 7,507
TN 0 #279 1,338 13,765
Canada Girls 2024 #280 6 2,795
IL 0 #281 2 6,291
SG 0 #281 2 11,010
TW Girls 0 #286 4 8,139
QA Girls 0 #291 26 15,378
NL 0 #296 96 2,481
AL Boys 0 #299 5 5,122
CZ Boys 0 #305 1 6,530
SA 0 #305 8 10,560
NL Girls 0 #307 1,117 5,933
GH Girls 0 #309 16 6,973
JO Girls 0 #316 10 7,570
MU Girls 0 #317 35 8,539
Finland Girls 0 #327 65 1,368
PE 0 #327 3 6,350
CN Boys 0 #331 1 9,639
KZ Girls 0 #331 2 5,862
GT 0 #335 4 5,948
Germany 0 #337 103 2,542
PL Boys 0 #340 1 6,459
CZ Girls 0 #348 4 5,378
CN Girls 0 #351 9 8,829
MY 0 #354 1 12,352
HK 0 #356 2 8,483
MA 0 #356 1,836 20,986
OM Girls 0 #361 36 15,987
PL Girls 0 #364 1 5,096
BO 0 #369 13 6,868
PT Boys 0 #381 1 7,951
CL 0 #395 17 6,867
YE 0 #395 4 8,639
MX 0 #398 16 8,339
EG 0 #404 9 6,387
BD Girls 0 #406 1 8,413
PH Girls 0 #422 8 13,098
ZA 0 #425 23 14,421
IQ Girls 0 #436 69 11,303
Spain 0 #443 10 2,326
PA Girls 0 #445 37 9,861
SD Boys 0 #466 1 10,523
KW Girls 0 #468 48 19,177
AE Girls 0 #475 79 20,968
RU Girls 0 #487 12 11,913
BO Girls 0 #491 122 9,488
GT Girls 0 #491 15 7,500
UY Girls 0 #491 20 6,731
CO 0 #508 3 7,768
IR Girls 0 #508 23 8,334
PS Girls 0 #510 14 10,981
LY 0 #518 18 12,703
BH 0 #542 12 17,937
CM Girls 0 #552 9 11,671
PS Boys 0 #561 1 10,655
IR Boys 0 #563 3 10,162
CR Girls 0 #566 8 11,342
CM Boys 0 #575 1 12,054
AR Girls 0 #582 18 8,289
HK Girls 0 #601 15 16,104
IL Girls 0 #605 13 11,648
IL Boys 0 #624 2 10,983
SG Girls 0 #627 6 18,916
CL Girls 0 #638 220 14,098
LB 0 #641 18 13,263
IN Girls 0 #651 4 13,121
IT 0 #673 42 4,183
IQ Boys 0 #696 2 13,071
CL Boys 0 #700 1 13,390
SY 0 #709 20 11,684
BR Boys 0 #714 38 12,213
QA Boys 0 #743 1 18,093
SA Girls 0 #746 190 25,931
IT Girls 0 #798 821 9,415
KW Boys 0 #803 4 18,755
Spain Girls 0 #805 180 5,561
ZA Girls 0 #817 336 25,928
NG Girls 0 #821 6 15,093
United States Girls 2024 #856 61 8,487
EG Girls 0 #873 87 14,742
PE Girls 0 #876 68 14,861
OM Boys 0 #914 5 17,948
EG Boys 0 #920 6 15,035
PE Boys 0 #925 2 14,506
NL Boys 0 #936 16 5,873
Germany Boys 0 #937 16 5,697
MY Girls 0 #951 44 24,821
MX Girls 0 #999 185 17,781
MX Boys 0 #1,033 1 16,355
CO Girls 0 #1,044 35 16,140
AE Boys 0 #1,139 5 22,615
ZA Boys 0 #1,169 10 25,619
MY Boys 0 #1,181 2 25,439
IT Boys 0 #1,458 14 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,592 23 28,008

Selma is popular in 87 countries — most recent births per country:

France
Norway
NL
Canada
Brussels, Belgium

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Selma

Selma is predominantly a girl's name.
Selma is a 2 syllable name, pronounced /ˈsɛlmə/ (SELL-ma).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Salma, Selima, Zelma and Anselma.
Yes, very popular — Selma ranked #1 in Germany in 2025, and appears in official birth registries across 12 countries.
Selma ranks highest in Germany (#1 in 2025).
Selma's popularity is declining significantly. It moved from #105 in 2011 to #135 in 2021 in France.
Yes — 3 notable people named Selma are in our database, including Selma Blair (Actor), Selma Ergeç (Actor), Selma Björnsdóttir (Actor).
Yes — at least 1 celebrity couple has chosen Selma for their child, including Cæcilia Holbek Trier and Lars von Trier.