Telma is Thelma without H. Therefore it comes from the boy name Anselme (formerly Anshelm or Antshelm) which meant "protected by the gods" or "divine helmet" in old Germanic. In many South American countries, Thelma is just spelled without the H because this letter has no sound in their languages, therefore it is useless. I live in France and called my daughter Telma, without H.