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Türkçe

Girl name

Selma name meaning

“safe, unharmed, in well-being”

Selma means “safe,” “unharmed,” or “in well-being.” Used as a girl's name in Türkiye, it derives from Arabic Salmā, whose root concerns soundness and safety. Selma Hanım, a character in Yakup Kadri Karaosmanoğlu's novel Ankara, provides a specific association with Turkish literature.

Ottoman Turkish
/selma/
Gender
♀ Girl
Origin
Arabic
Syllables
2
Popularity
In TÜİK lists

What does Selma mean?

Safe, unharmed, in well-being

In Turkish: esenlikte, güvende olan

Selma belongs to a semantic field of safety and well-being. It shares an Arabic root with Selim and Selime but is not simply an abbreviation of either. The spelling Selma also occurs in European languages, where naming histories can differ; the Turkish name is explained through the Arabic form.

#Peace

How popular is Selma?

Official figures: TÜİK newborn name lists (2018–2025, the top 30 for Türkiye and each of the 81 provinces every year) and the most common names in the population.

Province lists
3provinces

Where is Selma in the top 30?

3 provinces · the latest year each province listed it

Adana: not in the top listAdıyaman: not in the top listAfyonkarahisar: #30 · 6 (2022)Ağrı: not in the top listAmasya: not in the top listAnkara: not in the top listAntalya: not in the top listArtvin: not in the top listAydın: not in the top listBalıkesir: not in the top listBilecik: not in the top listBingöl: not in the top listBitlis: not in the top listBolu: not in the top listBurdur: not in the top listBursa: not in the top listÇanakkale: not in the top listÇankırı: not in the top listÇorum: not in the top listDenizli: not in the top listDiyarbakır: not in the top listEdirne: not in the top listElazığ: not in the top listErzincan: not in the top listErzurum: not in the top listEskişehir: not in the top listGaziantep: not in the top listGiresun: not in the top listGümüşhane: not in the top listHakkari: not in the top listHatay: not in the top listIsparta: not in the top listMersin: not in the top listİstanbul: not in the top listİzmir: not in the top listKars: not in the top listKastamonu: not in the top listKayseri: not in the top listKırklareli: not in the top listKırşehir: not in the top listKocaeli: not in the top listKonya: not in the top listKütahya: not in the top listMalatya: not in the top listManisa: not in the top listKahramanmaraş: not in the top listMardin: not in the top listMuğla: not in the top listMuş: not in the top listNevşehir: not in the top listNiğde: not in the top listOrdu: not in the top listRize: not in the top listSakarya: not in the top listSamsun: not in the top listSiirt: not in the top listSinop: not in the top listSivas: not in the top listTekirdağ: not in the top listTokat: not in the top listTrabzon: not in the top listTunceli: not in the top listŞanlıurfa: not in the top listUşak: #23 · 3 (2019)Van: not in the top listYozgat: not in the top listZonguldak: not in the top listAksaray: not in the top listBayburt: not in the top listKaraman: not in the top listKırıkkale: not in the top listBatman: not in the top listŞırnak: not in the top listBartın: not in the top listArdahan: not in the top listIğdır: not in the top listYalova: not in the top listKarabük: not in the top listKilis: #14 · 3 (2022)Osmaniye: not in the top listDüzce: not in the top list
Rank by province (girls)

Source: TurkStat (TÜİK), Address-Based Population Registration System. The lists cover the top 30 names per year, sex and province; no official counts are published for less common names. All statistics →

Origin of the name Selma

In Turkish usage, it derives from Arabic Salmā. It belongs to the root associated with safety, soundness and freedom from harm.

Linguistic originArabic
Is Selma in the Quran?No
Starts withS · Se

Double names with Selma

Double-name ideas built from names in our dictionary, with the meaning of each name.

  • Selma Bade

    Meaning of each name

    • Selma: safe, unharmed, in well-being
    • Bade: wine; a poetic symbol of love and ecstasy

  • Nebahat Selma

    Meaning of each name

    • Nebahat: alertness, discernment; distinction and renown
    • Selma: safe, unharmed, in well-being

  • Selma Lena

    Meaning of each name

    • Selma: safe, unharmed, in well-being
    • Lena: Light, brightness

  • Dilşah Selma

    Meaning of each name

    • Dilşah: sovereign of the heart
    • Selma: safe, unharmed, in well-being

  • Selma Nurefşan

    Meaning of each name

    • Selma: safe, unharmed, in well-being
    • Nurefşan: radiating light, spreading brightness

  • Fazilet Selma

    Meaning of each name

    • Fazilet: moral excellence, virtue, merit
    • Selma: safe, unharmed, in well-being

Make more with the generator →More girl double names →

How to pronounce Selma

Syllables2 · 5 letters · 5-letter girl names
IPA/selma/
Ottoman Turkishسلمى

Ottoman script tool →

Is Selma a girl’s name?

Yes, Selma is used mostly as a girl’s name. See all girl names.

♂ Boys 0%Girls 100% ♀

Selma appears in TÜİK’s most-used name lists. See the statistics section above (Source: TurkStat, ADNKS).

Spellings and similar names

Names that sound like Selma

Names with related meanings

Famous people named Selma

  • Selma Rıza · b. 1872
  • Selma Ergeç · b. 1978
  • Selma Gürbüz · b. 1960
  • Selma Irmak · b. 1971
  • Selma Aliye Kavaf · b. 1962
  • Selma Hanımsultan · b. 1914
  • Selma Yağcı · b. 1981
  • Selma Emiroğlu · b. 1928
  • Selma Gürkan · b. 1961
  • Selma Yıldırım · b. 1969
  • Selma Güneri · b. 1951
  • Selma Fındıklı · b. 1965

FAQ about the name Selma

What is the meaning of Selma?

Selma means “safe, unharmed, in well-being”. In Turkish usage, it derives from Arabic Salmā. It belongs to the root associated with safety, soundness and freedom from harm.

Is Selma a girl’s name?

Yes, Selma is used mostly as a girl’s name.

Is Selma in the Quran?

No. Neither the name Selma nor its source word occurs in the Quran.

What is the origin of the name Selma?

Selma is of Arabic origin.

How many syllables does Selma have?

Selma has 2 syllables and 5 letters.

How popular is the name Selma?

Selma appears in TÜİK’s most-used name lists. See the statistics section above (Source: TurkStat, ADNKS).

What names go well with Selma?

Some ideas: Selma Bade; Nebahat Selma; Selma Lena.

Famous people named Selma?

Notable people named Selma include Selma Rıza, Selma Ergeç, Selma Gürbüz.

Sources and method

Meanings and origins draw on language sources and name dictionaries; popularity figures come from TÜİK’s address-based population register, and notable people from Wikidata.

Entry ID: nm00100 · Updated 2026-10-24 · How we research names · Report a mistake