Elmer
Elmer was the 1223rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 165 babies. Its best year was 1893, when it ranked 32nd; the most babies were born in 1918 (4,373). Over the last ten years it has moved down 17 places. More babies were named Elmer in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning noble and famous · Old English
Say it EL-mer /ˈɛlmɚ/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,223 boys, up 87 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 165boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19184,373 babies
- Total since 1880
- 131,344babies recorded
What does the name Elmer mean?
Elmer is a medieval variant of Aylmer, from Old English Æþelmǣr, made of æþel 'noble' and mǣre 'famous', as Wiktionary and DMNES (under Aylmer) note. It survived as a surname and was turned back into a first name in the 19th-century US, as Wiktionary notes. It was very common around 1900; cartoon hunter Elmer Fudd dates from 1940.
æþel (Old English, “noble”)mǣre (Old English, “famous”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Aylmer, Elmore.
See also: English names, names that mean noble, names that mean fame.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Elmer', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Aylmer', DMNES (Durham University)
Elmer popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 1,753 since 1885.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,223 | 165 |
| 2020 | #1,310 | 138 |
| 2010 | #1,007 | 195 |
| 2000 | #850 | 188 |
| 1990 | #691 | 215 |
| 1980 | #681 | 162 |
| 1970 | #476 | 286 |
| 1960 | #342 | 515 |
| 1950 | #226 | 809 |
| 1940 | #144 | 1,220 |
| 1930 | #80 | 2,476 |
| 1920 | #45 | 4,206 |
| 1910 | #48 | 760 |
| 1900 | #38 | 699 |
| 1890 | #38 | 528 |
| 1880 | #41 | 373 |
How popular is Elmer, counting every spelling?
Elmer has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #1,156 for boys in 2025, against #1,223 on the official list.
How many kids will share the name Elmer?
165 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Elmer (0.05 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Elmer born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 51 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Elmer.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Elmer?
About 24,400 people born in the US named Elmer are alive today, with a median age of 63; half are between 33 and 78. That makes Elmer a name most people associate with older generations. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Elmer by state
How common Elmer was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Pennsylvania (4.4×), Indiana (3.0×), Maryland (2.7×), Kentucky (2.2×). In 29 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Elmer: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Elmer, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Elmer · Sibling names for Elmer
Questions about the name Elmer
What does Elmer mean?
Elmer means “noble and famous” (Old English origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Elmer?
Elmer was the 1223rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 165 babies. Its best year was 1893, when it ranked 32nd; the most babies were born in 1918 (4,373). Over the last ten years it has moved down 17 places. More babies were named Elmer in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Elmer a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Elmer in the US.
Where is Elmer most popular?
In 2021–2025, Elmer was most common in Pennsylvania (0.41 per 1,000 boys), followed by Indiana and Maryland.