Želimlje was attested in written sources in 1300 as Schelein (and as Salein in 1318 and 1326, Zelein in 1321, and Seleym in 1436). The name is originally a possessive adjective, shortened from *Želimľe (selo) (literally, 'Želimъ's village'). Today the name is declined either as a neuter singular adjective (Želímlje -ega) or as a feminine plural noun (Želímlje -melj). The originally neuter singular adjective was reanalyzed as an accusative plural, and then as a feminine nominative plural. The personal name Želimъ is a hypocorism from a name such as *Želimirъ, preserved today in the Slovene name Željko.Snoj, Marko. 2009. Etimološki slovar slovenskih zemljepisnih imen. Ljubljana: Modrijan and Založba ZRC, p. 488.
