ESC 

Name Rank Total 

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1885

First Year

1980

Last Year

1928

Peak Year

#896

Peak Rank

2K

Total Count

80

Years Active

🌍

## Meaning & Origin of Elmer

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures. 

Elmer is a name of Germanic British origin. The given name originated as a surname, a medieval variant of the given name Aylmer, derived from Old English æþel (noble) and mær (famous). It was adopted as a given name in the United States, "in honor of the popularity of the brothers Ebenezer and Jonathan Elmer, leading supporters of the American Revolution".

Source: [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elmer) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elmer)

📖

## The Story of Elmer

Elmer first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 373 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1918, when 4,373 Elmers were born — ranking #44 that year. As of 2026, Elmer ranks #1,172 for baby boys with 176 births, gradually rising (+9%). In total, more than 130K Elmers have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

## Popularity Over Time

## Popularity by State

ME

WA

MT

ND

MN

WI

MI

NY

VT

NH

MA

OR

ID

SD

IA

IL

IN

OH

PA

NJ

CT

RI

CA

NV

WY

NE

MO

KY

WV

VA

MD

DE

DC

UT

CO

KS

AR

TN

NC

SC

AK

AZ

NM

OK

LA

MS

AL

GA

HI

TX

FL

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

🎶

## Names that sound like Elmer

Phonetically similar names — useful when Elmer is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. 

* [Ulmer](/ulmer)
* [Almer](/almer)
* Aylmer
* Elm
* Elms
* [Eller](/eller)
* [Emmer](/emmer)
* [Emer](/emer)
* [Elma](/elma)
* [Elmore](/elmore)
* [Helmer](/helmer)
* Ulnar

Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. 

❓

## Frequently Asked Questions about Elmer

What does the name Elmer mean?

Elmer is a name of Germanic British origin. The given name originated as a surname, a medieval variant of the given name Aylmer, derived from Old English æþel (noble) and mær (famous). It was adopted as a given name in the United States, "in honor of the popularity of the brothers Ebenezer and Jonathan Elmer, leading supporters of the American Revolution".

How popular is Elmer in 2026?

In 2026, Elmer ranks #1,172 among boys' names in the U.S., with 176 babies given the name that year.

When was Elmer most popular?

Elmer reached its peak popularity in 1918, ranking #32 that year with 4,373 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Elmer most popular?

Elmer has historically been most popular in Nevada, South Dakota, Nebraska. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Elmer.

Is Elmer a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Elmer is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Elmer?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Elmer include Alfred, Miles, Keith. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

## Similar Names

[👧FelicitasPeak #896](/felicitas)[👧ShirleyannPeak #896](/shirleyann)[👧TondaPeak #896](/tonda)[👧NohelyPeak #896](/nohely)[👧LaniyahPeak #896](/laniyah)[👧HilahPeak #897](/hilah)[👧CoraliePeak #895](/coralie)[👧IrinePeak #897](/irine)

## About the name Elmer 

Elmer is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 130K births in the dataset. Elmer's peak popularity came in 1918 when it ranked #32\. Use the chart and map above to compare Elmer's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

### Continue exploring 

* [ Top names of 1918 → ](/year/1918)
* [ Names of the 1910s → ](/decade/1910s)
* [ Names starting with "E" → ](/letter/e)
* [ Browse all boy names → ](/names/boys)
* [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026)

Data sources

* Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. [Social Security Administration ](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/). Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
* Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — [Behind the Name ](https://www.behindthename.com/) (used under their public API terms).
* Meaning prose and editorial summary — [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/) article extracts, licensed under [CC BY-SA 3.0 ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/).
* Predicted nationality distribution — [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/).
* Phonetically similar names — [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/).

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.