Boy · #9,692 in 2026

Helmer

Helmer is both a masculine given name and a surname. In the former use it is common in Scandinavia. It is a German compound word: heil "healthy, well" and mer "famous" or helm "helmet" and her "warrior."

Current Rank
#9,692
Peak Rank
#1,092 (1917)
Total Babies
835
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1884
First Year
2017
Last Year
1917
Peak Year
#1092
Peak Rank
835
Total Count
71
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Helmer

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

Helmer is both a masculine given name and a surname. In the former use it is common in Scandinavia. It is a German compound word: heil "healthy, well" and mer "famous" or helm "helmet" and her "warrior."

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Helmer

Helmer first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1884, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1917, when 37 Helmers were born — ranking #1,092 that year. As of 2026, Helmer ranks #9,692 for baby boys with 7 births, with steady use. In total, more than 835 Helmers 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 Helmer

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

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Helmer

What does the name Helmer mean?
Helmer is both a masculine given name and a surname. In the former use it is common in Scandinavia. It is a German compound word: heil "healthy, well" and mer "famous" or helm "helmet" and her "warrior."
How popular is Helmer in 2026?
In 2026, Helmer ranks #9,692 among boys' names in the U.S., with 7 babies given the name that year.
When was Helmer most popular?
Helmer reached its peak popularity in 1917, ranking #1,092 that year with 37 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Helmer most popular?
Helmer has historically been most popular in North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Helmer.
Is Helmer a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Helmer is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Helmer?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Helmer include Ignazio, Joffre, Lori. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Helmer

Helmer is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1884 and has accumulated 835 births in the dataset. Helmer's peak popularity came in 1917 when it ranked #1,092. Use the chart and map above to compare Helmer's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . 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 (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

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.