The baby name Selmah is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced SEL-mah (/ˈsɛlmə/).
Selmah is Arabic, Germanic, Scandinavian in Origin.
The baby name Selmah is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced SEL-mah (/ˈsɛlmə/).
Selmah is Arabic, Germanic, Scandinavian in Origin.
Selmah is a rare, modern spelling of Selma, a name with several intertwined roots. In Germanic tradition it shortens Anselma, the feminine of Anselm, conveying "protected by God" or "divine helmet." In Arabic and Turkish use it aligns with Salma/Selma, from the Semitic root s-l-m, meaning "safe," "whole," or "peaceful." The literary vogue of the 18th and 19th centuries also popularized Selma through Macpherson’s Ossianic epics, where Selma is the noble hall of Fingal, often associated with a "high dwelling" or "beautiful prospect."
Selmah appears in European and Anglophone records as an alternate form, sometimes chosen to mirror -h endings like Sarah or Hannah. The name rose in Scandinavia and Central Europe in the 1800s, helped by Swedish author Selma Lagerlöf, and saw earlier U.S. usage via the Ossian-inspired place name Selma. Variants include Selma, Salma, Salmah, Selima, Anselma, and Zelma.
Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.
| Country | Gender | Year | Rank | Born | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NA | Girls | 0 | #172 | 53 | 7,146 |
| NA | Boys | 0 | #252 | 2 | 6,830 |
| CM | Girls | 0 | #560 | 1 | 11,671 |
| KW | Girls | 0 | #561 | 1 | 19,177 |
| SG | Girls | 0 | #632 | 1 | 18,916 |
| NG | Girls | 0 | #826 | 1 | 15,093 |
| MY | Girls | 0 | #912 | 83 | 24,821 |
| SA | Girls | 0 | #1,013 | 2 | 25,931 |
| MY | Boys | 0 | #1,181 | 2 | 25,439 |
| MA | 0 | #1,199 | 1 | 20,986 | |
| ZA | Girls | 0 | #1,233 | 4 | 25,928 |
Selmah is popular in 9 countries — most recent births per country:
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