Elmer
From the Old English name Æthelmær, “noble and famous”; Americans adopted it as a given name honoring the patriot Elmer brothers.
Popularity, 1880–2025
Elmer appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American boys in every year from 1880 to 1932. Its biggest year was 1918, when 4,373 newborn boys received the name, ranking it No. 44 nationally. Its best ranking came in 1893, at No. 32. All told, 131,344 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Elmore (3,967) (total births since 1880)
Explore Elmer interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 4,627 | No. 34 |
| 1890s | 5,647 | No. 32 |
| 1900s | 6,161 | No. 38 |
| 1910s | 28,600 | No. 44 |
| 1920s | 34,919 | No. 45 |
| 1930s | 17,371 | No. 80 |
| 1940s | 10,879 | No. 144 |
| 1950s | 6,881 | No. 226 |
| 1960s | 3,833 | No. 342 |
| 1970s | 2,137 | No. 476 |
| 1980s | 1,567 | No. 677 |
| 1990s | 2,104 | No. 675 |
| 2000s | 2,274 | No. 649 |
| 2010s | 1,639 | No. 1005 |
| 2020s | 952 | No. 1155 |
Births and rank shown for boys, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.