Short form of Wilhelmina, from Germanic wil 'will, desire' and helm 'helmet, protection.'
Wilma is a name of ancient Germanic lineage, arriving in the English-speaking world through the long journey of the Old High German name Wilhelm — itself composed of "wil" (will, desire) and "helm" (helmet, protection). As the feminine counterpart to William and Wilhelm, Wilma carries the full weight of that storied tradition: a name for someone armored by their own determination. It filtered into English use in the nineteenth century as diminutives and feminized forms of Germanic classics became fashionable, joining cousins like Willa and Wilhelmina.
The name's most luminous bearer in the twentieth century was Wilma Rudolph, the American sprinter who in 1960 became the first woman to win three gold medals at a single Olympic Games. Her triumph in Rome — all the more astonishing because she had survived childhood polio and wore a brace on her leg until age twelve — gave the name an aura of indomitable resilience. The fictional Wilma Flintstone, the red-haired, pearl-necklaced matriarch of the animated Stone Age sitcom, simultaneously lodged the name in pop-cultural warmth, making it recognizable to generations who might never have encountered it otherwise.
Wilma peaked in American usage in the 1920s and 1930s, then faded steadily through the latter half of the twentieth century. Today it occupies that rare vintage category — genuinely old-fashioned rather than merely retro — making it ripe for the kind of affectionate rediscovery that has brought Mabel, Hazel, and Ida back into style. It is a name with character: plain-spoken, robust, and quietly remarkable.