Elmer is a boy name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Elmer means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Elmer across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Elmer has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Elmer is a boy name of Old English origin meaning “noble and famous”. from the name Aethelmaer.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 131,344 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 21 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Elmer per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1918 (4,416/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2024 (5/yr).
Elmer has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1918, when it ranked #103 nationally (given to 4,416 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1910s.
Wilmer · Elmore · Elmira · Elmire · Almira · Almer · Elmyra · Wilmar
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