Boy · #3,681 in 2026

Selmer

Name: Popularity of the name Selmer in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Selmer, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Selmer is a masculine or feminine given name which may refer to:Selmer Bringsjord, American computer scientist Selmer W. Gunderson (1890–1972), American politician Selmer Jackson (1888–1971), American actor Selmer M. Johnson (1916–1996), American mathematician

Current Rank

#3,681

Peak Rank

#972 (1916)

Total Babies

759

5-Yr Trend

Stable

1917

First Year

1925

Last Year

1917

Peak Year

#4594

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Selmer

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

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

The Story of Selmer

Selmer first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1887, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1916, when 43 Selmers were born — ranking #972 that year. As of 2026, Selmer ranks #3,681 for baby boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 759 Selmers have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Selmer

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

Sellner
Cellar
Seller
Selma
Sellar
Celer
Selm
Semer
Semar
Sellier
Selar
Helmer

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Selmer

What does the name Selmer mean?

How popular is Selmer in 2026?

In 2026, Selmer ranks #3,681 among boys' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.

When was Selmer most popular?

Selmer reached its peak popularity in 1916, ranking #972 that year with 43 babies given the name.

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

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

Is Selmer a unisex name?

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

What names go well with Selmer?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Selmer include Unnamed, Roswell, Bowman. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Selmer

Selmer is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1887 and has accumulated 759 births in the dataset. Selmer's peak popularity came in 1916 when it ranked #972. Use the chart and map above to compare Selmer'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.