Norma Girl

Popularity: #853 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: NOR-muh //ˈnɔːr.mə//

Origin: Latin; English

Meaning: Latin: 'the norm' or 'standard'; English: 'from the North'

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Norma has its roots in Latin, derived from the word "norma," which means "pattern" or "rule." This term was adopted into Old French as "norme" before making its way into English. The earliest recorded use of the name in English can be traced back to the 18th century, particularly popularized by the 1831 opera "Norma" by Vincenzo Bellini, which features a Druid priestess named Norma.

The opera's themes of love, sacrifice, and conflict contributed to the name's resonance in Western culture. Historically, the name Norma has been associated with various cultural and literary figures.

One notable instance is the character Norma in the aforementioned opera, which has been performed extensively and has influenced the perception of the name in artistic circles. Additionally, the name gained traction in the 19th century, coinciding with a period of increased interest in classical literature and the arts, which often drew upon historical and mythological themes.

Culturally, the name Norma has been linked to ideals of strength and integrity, reflecting the qualities of its most famous bearer in the opera. The name has also been used in various literary works and has been embraced in different cultures, often symbolizing a sense of tradition and stability.

While diminutive forms such as Normie exist, they are less commonly referenced in historical texts. Overall, the name Norma carries a legacy that intertwines linguistic evolution, artistic expression, and cultural significance.

Famous people named Norma

In this section, you will find notable people named Norma. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Norma who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Norma who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Norma Jeane Baker is an actress best known for Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, The Seven Year Itch, and Some Like It Hot.

Norma Kamali is a fashion designer best known for her innovative designs and contributions to women's fashion.

Norma McCorvey is known for being the plaintiff in the landmark Roe v. Wade case.

Norma Talmadge is an actress best known for her roles in The Eternal City, The Lady, and The Sign on the Door.

Fictional characters named Norma

The following list of fictional characters named Norma is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Norma Desmond is a fictional character from the film Sunset Boulevard. She is a faded silent film star who becomes obsessed with making a comeback in Hollywood.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Norma, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

NoraMaraLornaCoraFloraTara

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Norma. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

NinaLauraMonaDoraClaraSaraZoraLila

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Norma was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Norma has ranked as high as #42 nationally, which occurred in 1931, and has been most popular in Texas, California, New York, Ohio, and Illinois.

In the past 5 years the name Norma has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Norma is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Norma was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Norma.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 95 0 95
2024 69 0 69
2023 87 0 87
2022 89 0 89
2021 99 0 99
2020 75 0 75
2019 74 0 74
2018 81 0 81
2017 81 0 81
2016 87 0 87
2015 77 0 77
2014 84 0 84
2013 86 0 86
2012 60 0 60
2011 105 0 105
2010 117 0 117
2009 126 0 126
2008 151 0 151
2007 151 0 151
2006 205 0 205
2005 194 0 194
2004 210 0 210
2003 203 0 203
2002 242 0 242
2001 266 0 266
2000 244 0 244
1999 292 0 292
1998 307 0 307
1997 355 0 355
1996 332 0 332
1995 456 0 456
1994 452 0 452
1993 456 5 451
1992 468 6 462
1991 514 6 508
1990 502 8 494
1989 543 9 534
1988 457 8 449
1987 478 14 464
1986 485 13 472
1985 510 12 498
1984 474 11 463
1983 533 14 519
1982 688 19 669
1981 738 9 729
1980 761 5 756
1979 782 8 774
1978 736 15 721
1977 785 7 778
1976 940 15 925
1975 1,029 7 1,022
1974 1,070 8 1,062
1973 1,055 12 1,043
1972 1,158 7 1,151
1971 1,373 12 1,361
1970 1,452 17 1,435
1969 1,566 10 1,556
1968 1,564 14 1,550
1967 1,837 9 1,828
1966 1,871 11 1,860
1965 2,070 21 2,049
1964 2,437 8 2,429
1963 2,458 0 2,458
1962 2,689 11 2,678
1961 2,568 19 2,549
1960 2,576 14 2,562
1959 2,735 14 2,721
1958 2,752 15 2,737
1957 2,993 9 2,984
1956 3,062 16 3,046
1955 2,940 5 2,935
1954 3,121 18 3,103
1953 3,184 16 3,168
1952 3,349 8 3,341
1951 3,365 10 3,355
1950 3,426 15 3,411
1949 3,426 14 3,412
1948 3,606 13 3,593
1947 4,444 19 4,425
1946 4,279 13 4,266
1945 3,616 13 3,603
1944 3,877 14 3,863
1943 4,564 22 4,542
1942 4,995 24 4,971
1941 5,044 23 5,021
1940 5,355 21 5,334
1939 5,850 23 5,827
1938 6,404 36 6,368
1937 6,268 33 6,235
1936 6,657 24 6,633
1935 6,904 35 6,869
1934 7,820 32 7,788
1933 7,521 39 7,482
1932 8,450 44 8,406
1931 8,796 37 8,759
1930 8,551 40 8,511
1929 7,932 39 7,893
1928 8,197 31 8,166
1927 8,023 26 7,997
1926 7,554 26 7,528
1925 6,965 24 6,941
1924 6,560 18 6,542
1923 5,904 19 5,885
1922 5,250 12 5,238
1921 5,118 16 5,102
1920 3,958 9 3,949
1919 3,206 7 3,199
1918 2,667 14 2,653
1917 2,133 10 2,123
1916 1,927 6 1,921
1915 1,737 0 1,737
1914 1,172 0 1,172
1913 878 0 878
1912 806 6 800
1911 531 0 531
1910 486 0 486
1909 438 0 438
1908 436 6 430
1907 375 0 375
1906 332 0 332
1905 311 0 311
1904 281 0 281
1903 311 0 311
1902 277 0 277
1901 264 0 264
1900 316 0 316
1899 214 0 214
1898 241 0 241
1897 200 0 200
1896 197 0 197
1895 219 0 219
1894 174 0 174
1893 189 0 189
1892 190 0 190
1891 127 0 127
1890 134 0 134
1889 108 0 108
1888 101 0 101
1887 77 0 77
1886 72 0 72
1885 51 0 51
1884 42 0 42
1883 49 0 49
1882 32 0 32
1881 26 0 26
1880 32 0 32

Top States for Norma (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 12
57%
TX 9
43%