Meaning: Its source is Anselma, an Ancient Germanic name meaning "Helmet of God."

Languages: This girl's name is used in Arabic, Dutch, English, Italian, Finnish and Swedish.

Nickname For: Anselma

Alternative Spellings: Zelmah

Popularity: The name Selma ranked 691st in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.

Narrative: For Westerners, its source could be the Ancient Germanic name Anselma, meaning ''Helmet of God.''

However, some authorities believe it was an invention of Scottish poet James Macpherson, whose popular 18th-century ''translations'' of Old English texts most scholars believe were his own creations.

For Arabic speakers, Selma is a variant spelling of Salma, meaning ''Safe.''