Meaning and background
The story behind Velma
Velma's personal-name history is documented with appropriate caution. Behind the Name considers it probably a form of Wilma, with the e spelling perhaps influenced by Selma, and notes use from the nineteenth century. The words probably and perhaps matter: this is a proposed relationship rather than a certain independent translation. The evidence supports an established English name while leaving the exact development of its spelling partly unresolved.
- Origin
- English name, probably a variant of Wilma, perhaps influenced in spelling by Selma; used since the nineteenth century. Source
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About Velma
Recorded as a dog’s name
Velma appears in 4 dog licence records in the 2026 New York City dataset.
How to read this count
These records cover New York City and may count the same dog in more than one licence period. They are not a national popularity ranking.
Pronunciation and rhythm
/vɛlmə/
US English sound sequence, converted from the CMU dictionary. Stress marks are shown separately.
Stress on the first syllable in the recorded US readings.
View dictionary notation
/vɛlmə/ · primary stress on syllable 1V EH1 L M AH0
These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.
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Sources and research notes (2)
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC Dog Licensing Dataset — extract_year 2026 — Dog licence periods, not unique dogs; NYC only. No owner-level fields retrieved.
- Carnegie Mellon University / CMU Sphinx maintainers CMU US English Pronouncing Dictionary — US English dictionary readings; not owner-specific or exhaustive multilingual pronunciation
References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.