Elma

See also: elma

English

Etymology

A 19th-century creation, usually explained as a form of Wilhelmina or Italian Guglielma. It has also been recorded as a blend of Elizabeth and Mary.

Proper noun

Elma

1. A female given name originating as a coinage.
2. A city in Iowa.
3. A town in New York.
4. A city in Washington.

Anagrams

• mela, mela-, amel, -meal, meal, alme, Lema, male-, Male, male, leam, lame, lamé, Leam, Elam, Malé, lema

Estonian

Proper noun

Elma (genitive f, partitive [please provide])

1. a female given name, equivalent to English Elma

Faroese

Proper noun

Elma f

1. a female given name

Usage notes

Matronymics

• Elma's son: Elmuson
• Elma's daughter: Elmudóttir

Declension

	singular
	indefinite
nominative	Elma
accusative	Elmu
dative	Elmu
genitive	Elmu

Finnish

Etymology

From the 19th century. Similar to English Elma.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈelmɑ/, [ˈe̞lmɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -elmɑ
• Syllabification^(key): El‧ma
• Hyphenation^(key): El‧ma

Proper noun

Elma

1. a female given name
   • 1959, Väinö Linna, Täällä Pohjantähden alla 1, WSOY, published 1965, page 181:

     Kehdossa makasi juuri äskettäin pappilassa kasteella ollut tyttö, jonka nimenkin rouva muisti: Elma. Se oli hänen antamansa nimi. Vanhemmat olivat tahtoneet Sofiaa, mutta rouva oli saanut kuin saanutkin tytölle suomalaisperäisen nimen. Tosin vain siksi ettei Anttoo pitänyt asiaa millään tavoin tärkeänä.

     There was a girl just christened still lying out in the cradle, and the old lady hadn't forgotten her name: Elma, the name she had picked. The parents would've liked a Sofia, but in the end a Finnish name was picked, although just because Anttoo didn't think the matter was of any importance.

   • 1960, Kalle Päätalo, Koillismaa, Gummerus, published 1996, →ISBN, page 470:

     —Minusta Elma on mukava nimi ja...ja sinä itsekin olet niin mukava.
     —Minä olen äidille motkottanut, että kun on laittanut näin vanhanaikaisen nimen. Eikö se sinustakin ole vanhanaikainen?
     —Ei.

     —I think Elma is a lovely name and...you too are lovely.
     —I had always nagged my mother for giving me such an old-fashioned name. Don't you think it is old-fashioned?
     —I don't.

Declension

Inflection of Elma (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation)
nominative		Elma	Elmat
genitive		Elman	Elmojen
partitive		Elmaa	Elmoja
illative		Elmaan	Elmoihin
		singular	plural
nominative		Elma	Elmat
accusative	nom.	Elma	Elmat
	gen.	Elman
genitive		Elman	Elmojen Elmain rare
partitive		Elmaa	Elmoja
inessive		Elmassa	Elmoissa
elative		Elmasta	Elmoista
illative		Elmaan	Elmoihin
adessive		Elmalla	Elmoilla
ablative		Elmalta	Elmoilta
allative		Elmalle	Elmoille
essive		Elmana	Elmoina
translative		Elmaksi	Elmoiksi
abessive		Elmatta	Elmoitta
instructive		—	Elmoin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of Elma (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Elmani Elmani accusative nom. Elmani Elmani gen. Elmani genitive Elmani Elmojeni Elmaini rare partitive Elmaani Elmojani inessive Elmassani Elmoissani elative Elmastani Elmoistani illative Elmaani Elmoihini adessive Elmallani Elmoillani ablative Elmaltani Elmoiltani allative Elmalleni Elmoilleni essive Elmanani Elmoinani translative Elmakseni Elmoikseni abessive Elmattani Elmoittani instructive — — comitative — Elmoineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Elmasi Elmasi accusative nom. Elmasi Elmasi gen. Elmasi genitive Elmasi Elmojesi Elmaisi rare partitive Elmaasi Elmojasi inessive Elmassasi Elmoissasi elative Elmastasi Elmoistasi illative Elmaasi Elmoihisi adessive Elmallasi Elmoillasi ablative Elmaltasi Elmoiltasi allative Elmallesi Elmoillesi essive Elmanasi Elmoinasi translative Elmaksesi Elmoiksesi abessive Elmattasi Elmoittasi instructive — — comitative — Elmoinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Elmamme Elmamme accusative nom. Elmamme Elmamme gen. Elmamme genitive Elmamme Elmojemme Elmaimme rare partitive Elmaamme Elmojamme inessive Elmassamme Elmoissamme elative Elmastamme Elmoistamme illative Elmaamme Elmoihimme adessive Elmallamme Elmoillamme ablative Elmaltamme Elmoiltamme allative Elmallemme Elmoillemme essive Elmanamme Elmoinamme translative Elmaksemme Elmoiksemme abessive Elmattamme Elmoittamme instructive — — comitative — Elmoinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Elmanne Elmanne accusative nom. Elmanne Elmanne gen. Elmanne genitive Elmanne Elmojenne Elmainne rare partitive Elmaanne Elmojanne inessive Elmassanne Elmoissanne elative Elmastanne Elmoistanne illative Elmaanne Elmoihinne adessive Elmallanne Elmoillanne ablative Elmaltanne Elmoiltanne allative Elmallenne Elmoillenne essive Elmananne Elmoinanne translative Elmaksenne Elmoiksenne abessive Elmattanne Elmoittanne instructive — — comitative — Elmoinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative Elmansa Elmansa accusative nom. Elmansa Elmansa gen. Elmansa genitive Elmansa Elmojensa Elmainsa rare partitive Elmaansa Elmojaan Elmojansa inessive Elmassaan Elmassansa Elmoissaan Elmoissansa elative Elmastaan Elmastansa Elmoistaan Elmoistansa illative Elmaansa Elmoihinsa adessive Elmallaan Elmallansa Elmoillaan Elmoillansa ablative Elmaltaan Elmaltansa Elmoiltaan Elmoiltansa allative Elmalleen Elmallensa Elmoilleen Elmoillensa essive Elmanaan Elmanansa Elmoinaan Elmoinansa translative Elmakseen Elmaksensa Elmoikseen Elmoiksensa abessive Elmattaan Elmattansa Elmoittaan Elmoittansa instructive — — comitative — Elmoineen Elmoinensa

Statistics

• Elma is the 310^th (tied with 1 other name) most common female given name in Finland, belonging to 1,536 female individuals (and as a middle name to 787 more), according to August 2025 data from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency of Finland.

Anagrams

• elam, mela

German

Proper noun

Elma f (genitive Elmas or Elma)

1. a female given name, equivalent to English Elma

Serbo-Croatian

Proper noun

Elma

1. (rare) a female given name

Declension

    Declension of Elma

	singular	plural
nominative	Elma	Elme
genitive	Elme	Elma
dative	Elmi	Elmama
accusative	Elmu	Elme
vocative	Elmo	Elme
locative	Elmi	Elmama
instrumental	Elmom	Elmama

Further reading

• “Elma”, in Portal suvremenih hrvatskih osobnih imena [Portal of contemporary Croatian personal names] (in Serbo-Croatian), 2018–2026