Norma is taken from the Latin norma and means "rule" or "pattern"; it was popularized by Bellini's 1831 opera Norma about a Druid priestess and became a favorite in early 20th-century America. Marilyn Monroe was born Norma Jeane Mortenson. In the United States Norma ranked number 900 in 2000, peaked at number 859 in 2001 and has since left the top 1000, standing at number 2012 in 2025.