# Selma

> English word · Proper noun · IPA /ˈsɛlmə/ · frequency rank #23,987

## Definitions
1. A female given name.
2. A surname.
3. A placename
4. A placename
5. A placename
6. A placename
7. A placename
8. A placename
9. A placename
10. A placename
11. A placename
12. A placename
13. A placename
14. A placename
15. A placename
16. A placename

## Etymology
Taken to use in the 19th century when similar-sounding names, Elma, Thelma, Alma, Wilma, etc. were in vogue. Perhaps a shortening of Anselma, or from the name of a place in the James Macpherson's Ossian cycle of epic poems, itself from Scottish Gaelic sealladh + math (“good vision”). In some cases perhaps borrowed from Turkish Selma, from Arabic سَلْمَى (salmā).

## Easily confused with
- **sem** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/selma-vs-sem)
- **SMA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/selma-vs-sma)
- **SLA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/selma-vs-sla)
- **semi** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/selma-vs-semi)
- **soma** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/selma-vs-soma)
- **Sera** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/selma-vs-sera)
- **sola** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/selma-vs-sola)
- **silva** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/selma-vs-silva)
- **sigma** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/selma-vs-sigma)
- **senna** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/selma-vs-senna)
- **serra** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/selma-vs-serra)
- **summa** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/selma-vs-summa)
- **sepia** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/selma-vs-sepia)
- **stella** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/selma-vs-stella)
- **sea** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sea-vs-selma)
- **Sel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sel-vs-selma)
- **self** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/self-vs-selma)
- **seem** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seem-vs-selma)
- **sell** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sell-vs-selma)
- **seam** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seam-vs-selma)

## Common misspellings (7)
`eslma`, `selam`, `sellma`, `selmma`, `semla`, `slema`, `sselma`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/selma