Gilma

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Gilma

Pronounced GIL-muh /ˈɡɪl.mə/Medium

Meaning: Gilma is a compact given name common among Spanish-speaking families, especially in Central America. It reads as a coinage on the Gil- sound, perhaps a feminine reshaping of Germanic names in gil- or wil- (as in Wilma), but no single traditional root is secure. We present it as a modern, largely Latin American girl's name of uncertain derivation.Low

In 30 seconds: Gilma is a rare girl's name, familiar in Central America, most likely a short coinage on the Gil- sound. It appeared quietly in American records around the late nineteen-eighties (said GIL-muh).

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Origin LowSpanish, American

MeaningGilma is a compact given name common among Spanish-speaking families, especially in Central America. It reads as a coinage on the Gil- sound, perhaps a feminine reshaping of Germanic names in gil- or wil- (as in Wilma), but no single traditional root is secure. We present it as a modern, largely Latin American girl's name of uncertain derivation.

U.S. rank (2002)#12674 ↗ Rising

2002 U.S. births7 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1989

Total births (all-time)≈ 228

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Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Gilma is a brief, warm name most at home among Spanish-speaking families in Central America. It looks like a coinage on the Gil- element, sitting close to Wilma and Vilma, which descend from Germanic names, but no firm traditional etymology attaches to Gilma itself. Rather than invent a root, we note its Latin American currency and treat the meaning as genuinely uncertain.

In the United States it was always rare, reaching about fifteen girls a year at its high point in the late nineteen-eighties, with a long scatter in the records from the eighteen-nineties into the two-thousands that reflects immigrant families. A Gilma from its peak would be in her thirties or forties today, and the name reads as a modest heritage name rather than a mainstream American choice.

Did you know? Gilma rhymes neatly with Wilma and Vilma, and like them it may be a feminine reshaping of an old Germanic name element, though its exact source is not settled.

Overall data confidence 30%

References - Gilma — Central American girl's name; likely Gil- coinage / kin to Wilma; uncertain root.

Variations

WilmaVilmaGildaGilmara

Nicknames

GilMima

Famous Bearers

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If you like Gilma…

Wilma— a like -lma name of Germanic root

Vilma— a close Latin American cousin in sound

Gilda— a similar Gil- girl's name

Selma— a comparable short -lma vintage name

Explore names like Gilma

By themeuncertain spanish short latin-american

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Gilma mean?

It is most likely a short coinage on the Gil- sound, perhaps a feminine reshaping of Germanic gil-/wil- names like Wilma; the exact meaning is uncertain.

How do you pronounce Gilma?

It is said GIL-muh /ˈɡɪl.mə/ - two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Gilma a boy or girl name?

Gilma is used as a girl's name.

How popular is Gilma?

It was always rare in the United States, reaching only about fifteen girls a year at its best in the late nineteen-eighties.