| Gender | Feminine |
|---|---|
| Origin | |
| Language(s) | Arabic |
| Meaning | "Peaceful" |
| Other names | |
| Variant form(s) | Selim |
| Related names | Selima, Zelma |
Selma is a feminine name of ambiguous origin. It could be a form of Selima, which in turn is a name first recorded in a poem by Thomas Gray (died 1771). One possibility is that Selima was influenced by the Arabic name Selim meaning "peaceful".[1] In Turkey, the name is a variation of the Arabic female name Salma. The name may also have Celtic origins, in which case it means "beautiful view".[2]
The use of Selma in Germany and Scandinavia stems from the Ossianic poetry of James Macpherson (died 1796), where it appears as a place name.[1][2][3][4] Its specific popularity in Sweden is likely due to the Selma poems of Frans Michael Franzén (died 1847). It was later introduced into Denmark by Swedish immigrants, after which it likely became more common due to the works of the author Selma Lagerlöf (died 1940).[3] The given name lost popularity in Sweden during most of the 20th century, but has had an upswing since the 1990s. In 1999, it joined the list of 100 most common names for Swedish female infants, and in 2017 and 2018, it was in the 16th place.[2]