Thelma’s Notebook: Personalized Journal for Thelma
Thelma's Notebook is a lined journal with one name on the cover, hers. The name sits in flowing script above a soft pink watercolor apple blossom design.
- 160 lined pages
- 6" x 9" paperback
- Watercolor apple blossom cover with "Thelma's Notebook" on the front
- Printed and shipped by Amazon
The meaning of Thelma
Thelma’s meaning is unknown. Behind the Name says it was rare until British author Marie Corelli used it for the Norwegian heroine of her novel Thelma (1887), after which it became popular around the end of the 19th century. Wikipedia adds that, despite the heroine, Thelma is not a traditional Scandinavian name. Both sources mention a claimed link to the Greek thelema, “will”, which Behind the Name calls unlikely.
Nicknames for Thelma
Thelma has few relatives. Behind the Name lists only the Portuguese Telma, and Wikipedia warns that the similar-sounding Selma is a different name altogether. So a Thelma has a name that is almost entirely her own.
Famous Thelmas
Character actress Thelma Ritter earned six Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress, more than any other actress in that category, for films including All About Eve and Pillow Talk, and also appeared in Miracle on 34th Street and Rear Window. Singer Thelma Houston won a Grammy for her 1977 number one “Don’t Leave Me This Way”. And Thelma Mothershed-Wair was one of the Little Rock Nine, the African-American students who enrolled at Little Rock Central High School in 1957.
How popular is Thelma?
Thelma was a hit within a generation of the novel. US Social Security data has it 169th in the 1890s, 41st in the 1900s and at its best rank, 28th, in the 1910s. Its biggest decade by count was the 1920s, when nearly 69,000 American girls were named Thelma. It fell to 136th in the 1940s and then left the top 200.
Fun facts about the name Thelma
The most famous Thelma of recent decades is fictional. Wikipedia says Thelma & Louise (1991), starring Geena Davis as Thelma, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and received six Academy Award nominations, with Callie Khouri winning Best Original Screenplay.
Thelma gift ideas
- For a road trip. Maps and notes, for a fan of Thelma & Louise.
- For a disco fan. Playlists, in honor of Thelma Houston.
- For Christmas. Movie notes, for a name shared with a Miracle on 34th Street star.
- For a great-grandmother. Thelma peaked in the 1910s, so it makes a lovely keepsake.
Who it’s for and ways to use it
This is a notebook for every kind of Thelma: the student, the list-maker, the diary keeper, the busy mom. Its 160 lined pages and 6" x 9" format suit daily journaling, study, meal plans, goals or gratitude notes. Plain lines mean no rules about how to use it. Her name on the front makes it easy to spot on a crowded desk.
Why a name on the cover matters
Notebooks tend to multiply on desks and in drawers. One with Thelma’s name on the front is instantly hers: easy to spot, harder to “borrow”, and more personal than a plain cover. For children especially, seeing their own name on something makes it special and encourages them to actually use it.
Frequently asked questions
How big is Thelma’s Notebook? The notebook measures 6 x 9 inches (roughly 15 x 23 cm) and has 160 lined pages.
Where do I buy it? Use the buttons on this page to find it on Amazon in the US, Australia and the UK. Amazon handles printing, shipping and returns.
Do you have other names? Yes. We publish hundreds of girls’ name notebooks with the same cover design. See our personalized name notebooks page or browse all name notebooks.
View Thelma's Notebook on Amazon
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