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 Thelma Carpenter (January 15, 1922 – May 14, 1997) was an American jazz singer and actress, best known as "Miss One", the Good Witch of the North in the movie ''The Wiz''. Early years Carpenter was born in Brooklyn, New York, the only chi ...

(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 Thelma "Tiby" Eisen (May 11, 1922 – May 11, 2014) was an outfielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 4", 130 lb., she batted and threw right-handed. Thelma Eisen was among the t ...

(1922–2014), American baseball player * Thelma Fardin (born 1992), Argentine actress *

Thelma Forbes Thelma Bessie Forbes (September 26, 1910 – January 5, 2012) was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. She was a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1959 to 1969, and served as a cabinet minister in ...

(1910–2012), Canadian politician *

Thelma Furness, Viscountess Furness Thelma Furness, Viscountess Furness ( Morgan, 23 August 1904 – 29 January 1970), was a mistress of King Edward VIII while he was Prince of Wales. She was supplanted in his affections by Wallis Simpson, for whose sake Edward abdicated, becoming ...

(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 Thelma Hill (born Thelma Hillerman; December 12, 1906 – May 11, 1938) was an American silent screen comedian and one of the Sennett Bathing Beauties. Early life Hill was born Thelma Hillerman on December 12, 1906, in Emporia, Kansas. He ...

(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 Thelma Leeds ( Goodman; December 18, 1910 – May 27, 2006) was an American actress. Life and career Leeds was born Thelma Goodman in New York City, to Katie and Joseph Goodman, Russian-Jewish immigrants. She was the mother of actor/directo ...

(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 Thelma Nava (November 25, 1932 - August 17, 2019) was a Mexican poet and journalist. She founded and co-founded magazines, one of which she also published. Nava was the recipient of the Premio Nacional de Poesía «Ramón López Velarde» and the ...

(1932–2019), Mexican poet, magazine co-founder, publisher, journalist * Thelma "Pat" Nixon (1912–1993), First Lady of the United States *

Thelma Parr Thelma Parr (born Thelma Sill, October 19, 1906 – February 13, 2000) was an American actress. She is best remembered for her roles in Mack Sennett comedies as one of the Sennett Bathing Beauties, appearing in numerous films for Mack Sennet ...

(1906–2000), American actress *

Thelma Pressman Thelma Pressman (April 10, 1921 – August 10, 2010, Rancho Mirage, California) was a pioneering microwave cooking consultant, product development consultant, and cookbook author. In 1969 she opened the first microwave cooking school in the U ...

(1921–2010), American microwave cooking consultant and cookbook author *

Thelma Rodgers Thelma Ann Rodgers (; 1 December 1947 – 12 October 2021) was a New Zealand Antarctic science technician and architect. She was the first woman to spend a winter at Scott Base, New Zealand's scientific base in Antarctica. Early life and educa ...

, 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 Thelma Terry (born Thelma Esther Combes; September 30, 1901 – May 30, 1966) was an American bandleader and bassist during the 1920s and 1930s. She led Terry and Her Playboys and was the first American woman to lead a notable jazz orchestra as a ...

(1901–1966), American bandleader *

Thelma Thall Thelma Thall "Tybie" Sommer (born March 12, 1924) is the only living American woman to have won two World Table Tennis Championships. Thall received the USA Table Tennis Lifetime Achievement Award, and is in the Table Tennis Hall of Fame. She ...

(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 Thelma Votipka (December 20, 1906 – October 24, 1972) was an American soprano who sang 1,422 performances with the Metropolitan Opera, more than any other woman in the company's history (her nearest rival, Mathilde Bauermeister, sang 1,062). ...

(1906–1972), American opera singer *

Thelma Wood Thelma Ellen Wood (July 3, 1901 – December 10, 1970) was an American artist, specialising in the traditional fine line drawing technique known as Silverpoint. She was noted for her hectic private life, and her lesbian relationship with Djuna B ...

(1901–1970), American artist and lover of Djuana Barnes * Thelma (musician), American musician

Fictional characters

* Thelma Bates, from the TV series ''Hex'' *

Thelma Evans ''Good Times'' is an American television sitcom that aired for six seasons on CBS, from February 8, 1974, to August 1, 1979. Created by Eric Monte and Mike Evans and developed by executive producer Norman Lear, it was television's first Africa ...

, in the sitcom ''Good Times'' *

Thelma Harper Thelma Harper, better known as Mama, is a fictional character played by American actress Vicki Lawrence. Mama is a purse-lipped, thickset senior citizen in her mid-to-late 60s. She has lived in an unspecified part of the Southern United States cal ...

, from ''The Carol Burnett Show'' and ''Mama's Family'' *

Thelma Lou Thelma Lou, or Thel by boyfriend Barney Fife, is a character on the American television sitcom ''The Andy Griffith Show'' (1960-1968). The character appeared in 26 episodes, starting with the first-season episode, "Cyrano Andy". Thelma Lou was por ...

, on ''The Andy Griffith Show'' *

Thelma Griffin ''Family Guy (franchise), Family Guy'' is an American animated comedy multimedia franchise originally conceived and created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company, primarily based on the animated series ''Family Guy'' (1999–present ...

, 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 ''Space Cases'' is a Canadian science fiction television series that aired on Nickelodeon for two seasons. Created by Peter David and Bill Mumy, it premiered on March 2, 1996, and ended on January 27, 1997, with reruns until 1998. ''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