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Name Lineage

    The first name Norma

    A girl’s name meaning “pattern”, “model”.

    2 syllables Female

    Meaning and origin

    Norma means “pattern”, “model”.

    Coined name of an imaginary Celtic priestess in Bellini's opera Norma (1831). Sometimes explained as Latin norma (“pattern, model”), or as a feminine form of Norman.

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity

    Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

    In 2025, 3 girls were named Norma, making it the 5,927th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2020, with 5 births (#3,899).

    0510 1996200020052010201520202025
    38
    babies named Norma, 1996–2025
    #5,927
    rank in 2025
    2020
    peak year

    Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Norma with other names.

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Norma at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2025, 95 girls born in the United States were named Norma, the 2,012th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1931, when 8,759 were.

    04,5009,000 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    279,349
    babies named Norma since 1880
    #2,012
    rank in 2025
    1931
    peak year

    US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.

    Famous people named Norma

    35 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Norma Shearer
      Canadian-American actress (1902-1983)
    • Norma Aleandro
      Argentine actress, born 1936
    • Norma Talmadge
      American actress and film producer (1894–1957)
    • Norma Cappagli
      Argentine Miss World 1960 (1939–2020)
    • Norma Croker
      Australian sprinter (1934-2019)
    • Norma Nolan
      Argentine model (1938–2025)
    • Norma Bengell
      Brazilian actress, director, screenwriter (1935–2013)
    • Norma Varden
      English actress (1898-1989)
    • Norma Crane
      American stage, film and television actress (1928 - 1973)
    • Norma Thrower
      Australian hurdler, born 1936
    • Norma Miller
      American dancer (1919-2019)
    • Norma Stitz
      American fetish model, born 1956

    Questions

    What does the name Norma mean?
    Norma means “pattern”, “model”.
    How popular is the name Norma?
    In 2025, 3 girls born in England and Wales were named Norma, ranking 5,927th. Its peak was 2020, with 5 births.
    Is Norma a boy's or a girl's name?
    Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 279,349 US babies named Norma since 1880 were girls.
    When was Norma most popular?
    1931 in the United States, when 8,759 babies were named Norma, its highest rank at 22nd.