Is Wilma short for anything?

Yes, usually. In old records Wilma mostly appears as a pet form of Wilhelmina, though plenty of families gave it as a name in its own right. No other formal name claims it in the records we track. Expect it in American and German-immigrant records, mostly 1800s-1900s. When a census shows Wilma, check the family's other papers for a Wilhelmina before you decide which reading you have.

Loading tool…

FAQs

Is Wilma a nickname?+

Usually. Most records that say Wilma trace back to a Wilhelmina, but some families used it as the full given name.

Is Wilma a real name on its own?+

Yes - it also appears as a standalone given name, especially in later eras. Earlier records lean toward Wilhelmina.

How does this nickname lookup work?+

It searches a curated dataset of historical nickname-to-formal-name mappings - in both directions - entirely in your browser. Nothing you type is uploaded or stored on our servers.

Start with one relative and see what comes back.

Add what you remember and AncestorIQ searches for the rest. Free to build your tree for as long as you like.

Start your tree, free

No credit card needed. Your tree stays yours.