Etymology: Velma is believed to be a short form or variant of Wilhelmina or a modern creation derived from the element 'vel' possibly linked to 'voluntary' or as a phonetic variation of 'Wilma', ultimately rooted in Germanic 'wil' meaning 'will, desire' and 'helm' meaning 'helmet, protection'. Over time, it evolved as an independent name with associations to fame due to similarity with names ending in '-mira' or '-ma'.