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Vilma as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Vilma

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The baby name Vilma is a Girl name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced VIL-mah.

Vilma is German, Germanic in Origin.

Gender: Girl
Syllables: 2
Origin: German, Germanic
Pronunciation: VIL-mah

What is the meaning of the name Vilma ?

The baby name Vilma is a girl name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced VIL-mah.

Vilma is German, Germanic in Origin.

Vilma is a feminine short form of Wilhelmina, ultimately from the Old High German masculine name Willahelm, later Wilhelm. Its root language is Germanic: *wiljô denotes will or desire, while *helmaz is helmet, by extension protection. The feminine suffix -ina entered through medieval and early modern Latinized and vernacular forms; Vilma keeps the core consonants while replacing initial w with v, a spelling natural in several European orthographies. Literally, the name signifies will-helmet or resolute protection.

The name is especially at home in Finnish, Swedish, Hungarian, Croatian, Portuguese, Spanish, and German-speaking contexts, often alongside Vilhelmina or Wilma. It gained notice in the United States in the early twentieth century, peaking in the 1920s before receding from national rankings. Public bearers include Hungarian silent-film actor Vilma Bánky, Cuban revolutionary Vilma Espín, and Filipino actor-politician Vilma Santos, showing its spread beyond its Germanic source through European and colonial-era naming channels.

Vilma has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Vilma

Vilma Bánky Actor · Born 1901 · Hungary Vilma Bánky was a Hungarian-born actor best known for her roles in silent films during the 1920s. She starred alongside Rudolph Valentino in 'The Eagle' and 'The Son of the Sheik', which are among her most notable works. Her captivating performances made her a beloved figure in the silent film era. Vilma Santos Actor · Born 1953 · Philippines Vilma Santos is a beloved actress from the Philippines, best known for her roles in classic films like 'Anak' and 'Dekada '70'. She has also made a significant impact in politics, serving as the Governor of Batangas and later as a member of the House of Representatives.

Vilma – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
SV Girls 0 #14 5 458
HN 0 #18 5 704
LT Girls 0 #19 863 1,904
HT Girls 0 #23 1 950
HN Girls 0 #24 13 884
BN 0 #32 1 2,297
GT Girls 0 #32 1,809 7,500
LT 0 #32 71 949
HT Boys 0 #33 2 903
MV Girls 0 #35 1 2,021
PE Girls 0 #40 9,785 14,861
PR 0 #48 8 1,497
MO 0 #50 3 2,706
AL 0 #59 17 2,372
LU 0 #66 1 2,830
AO 0 #70 8 2,729
JP 0 #76 2 4,057
Norway Girls 2025 #78 53 453
SI 0 #78 3 1,612
CR Girls 0 #79 1,247 11,342
Sweden Girls 2022 #81 116 1,568
AL Girls 0 #87 180 4,141
PR Girls 0 #87 82 3,171
Finland Girls 2026 #88 7,683 3,895
GT 0 #90 296 5,948
JM 0 #90 4 3,714
BN Girls 0 #94 13 5,459
QA 0 #100 7 7,011
EC 0 #105 11 2,502
Finland Girls 0 #105 1,043 1,368
PH Girls 0 #105 371 13,098
BO Girls 0 #106 1,903 9,488
PH 0 #108 3 5,607
HU 0 #114 2 1,675
AO Girls 0 #115 103 4,575
KW 0 #115 7 5,216
CY Girls 0 #117 9 3,755
PA 0 #118 13 3,797
OM 0 #119 3 6,215
GR 0 #131 5 3,911
Switzerland Girls 2024 #133 3 1,786
BR Girls 0 #134 3,903 12,708
EC Girls 0 #134 111 3,650
MU 0 #135 3 3,613
RS Girls 0 #136 2 1,651
PA Girls 0 #137 565 9,861
EE Girls 0 #139 4 1,888
CR 0 #140 19 5,526
JO 0 #140 1 2,158
LT Boys 0 #146 6 2,166
MT Girls 0 #152 2 3,773
SI Girls 0 #154 21 2,769
Finland 0 #166 174 830
PE 0 #167 159 6,350
AR 0 #176 11 2,915
HR 0 #177 5 2,081
CZ 0 #178 9 3,154
UY 0 #178 5 2,477
AE 0 #181 7 10,220
LU Girls 0 #186 5 4,850
BO 0 #188 224 6,868
MO Girls 0 #198 54 7,056
HU Girls 0 #199 25 3,308
AR Girls 0 #200 860 8,289
KW Girls 0 #201 367 19,177
DK 0 #205 2 5,198
QA Girls 0 #208 110 15,378
GR Girls 0 #209 34 6,293
SI Boys 0 #211 1 3,402
NA Girls 0 #213 12 7,146
JP Girls 0 #216 30 6,592
HR Girls 0 #218 72 3,687
BG Girls 0 #223 9 3,559
IR 0 #223 9 4,221
PS 0 #224 3 5,692
PT 0 #226 21 4,161
CZ Girls 0 #228 121 5,378
CL Girls 0 #230 1,593 14,098
JM Girls 0 #233 27 7,507
EC Boys 0 #246 1 3,322
AO Boys 0 #249 1 5,568
CO Girls 0 #258 2,877 16,140
HR Boys 0 #258 2 3,997
OM Girls 0 #259 138 15,987
SG 0 #260 10 11,010
BR 0 #267 80 5,969
PT Girls 0 #278 197 7,952
IL 0 #279 4 6,291
TW Girls 0 #282 8 8,139
SA 0 #283 13 10,560
IT Girls 0 #286 5,308 9,415
UY Girls 0 #287 276 6,731
AL Boys 0 #298 6 5,122
DK Girls 0 #301 16 7,429
Canada Girls 1993 #308 5 2,282
MU Girls 0 #325 27 8,539
DK Boys 0 #332 1 7,401
JO Girls 0 #332 8 7,570
GH Girls 0 #337 1 6,973
AE Girls 0 #338 219 20,968
CL 0 #340 73 6,867
HK 0 #350 8 8,483
MY 0 #351 4 12,352
CN Girls 0 #356 4 8,829
CO 0 #356 127 7,768
SD Girls 0 #356 3 7,678
PL Girls 0 #363 2 5,096
IR Girls 0 #386 148 8,334
SA Girls 0 #389 650 25,931
YE 0 #396 3 8,639
MX 0 #401 13 8,339
France Girls 2021 #402 4 3,185
Austria Girls 0 #403 18 1,885
PH Boys 0 #405 4 11,440
HK Girls 0 #411 211 16,104
UY Boys 0 #412 2 5,922
Spain 0 #413 40 2,326
SG Girls 0 #434 154 18,916
BH 0 #444 110 17,937
GT Boys 0 #451 24 7,625
AR Boys 0 #458 10 7,628
PS Girls 0 #460 64 10,981
ZA 0 #472 3 14,421
Spain Girls 0 #487 651 5,561
PA Boys 0 #502 4 9,305
CR Boys 0 #506 5 10,188
RU Girls 0 #515 9 11,913
IQ Girls 0 #525 1 11,303
IT 0 #542 176 4,183
CM Girls 0 #554 7 11,671
HK Boys 0 #557 1 12,905
LY 0 #557 3 12,703
BO Boys 0 #559 34 9,244
IL Girls 0 #560 58 11,648
IR Boys 0 #565 1 10,162
LB 0 #608 51 13,263
CL Boys 0 #647 19 13,390
IN Girls 0 #652 3 13,121
BR Boys 0 #689 63 12,213
Germany Girls 0 #733 106 4,949
SG Boys 0 #738 2 17,960
PE Boys 0 #753 126 14,506
KW Boys 0 #759 11 18,755
SY 0 #760 8 11,684
NG Girls 0 #825 2 15,093
MX Girls 0 #829 382 17,781
TN 0 #865 1 13,765
United States Girls 2024 #896 21 8,487
NL Girls 0 #896 60 5,933
CO Boys 0 #897 24 15,656
OM Boys 0 #917 2 17,948
MY Girls 0 #924 71 24,821
EG Girls 0 #949 11 14,742
NG Boys 0 #1,001 1 16,906
MX Boys 0 #1,031 3 16,355
ZA Girls 0 #1,113 29 25,928
AE Boys 0 #1,141 3 22,615
MY Boys 0 #1,182 1 25,439
TR 0 #1,184 28 19,440
MA 0 #1,193 7 20,986
DZ 0 #1,232 3 20,130
IT Boys 0 #1,446 26 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,596 19 28,008

Vilma is popular in 85 countries — most recent births per country:

Norway
France
Sweden
United States
Switzerland

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

People also ask about Vilma

Vilma is a unisex name, given to both boys and girls.
Vilma is a 2 syllable name, pronounced VIL-mah.
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Wilma, Wilhelmina, Wilhelmine, Vilhelmina, Vilhelmiina and Vilhelmine.
Yes, very popular — Vilma ranked #78 in Norway in 2025, and appears in official birth registries across 7 countries.
Vilma ranks highest in Norway (#78 in 2025).
Yes — 2 notable people named Vilma are in our database, including Vilma Bánky (Actor), Vilma Santos (Actor).