Elmer
An English surname from the Old English personal name Æthelmær, joining æthele, noble, with mære, famous. American use honored the Revolutionary Elmer brothers.
Elmer in 2025
Elmer was given to 165 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 2,523rd most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 20,093 babies born.
The history of Elmer
Elmer reached its highest point in 1918, when 4,416 babies were given the name, ranking 103rd that year. Its best-ever ranking was 100th, in 1884.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 131,344 babies have been named Elmer. Half of them were born before 1925, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Greatest Generation.
Elmer by decade
| Decade | Babies named Elmer | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 4,642 | 100 |
| 1890s | 5,741 | 114 |
| 1900s | 6,309 | 132 |
| 1910s | 28,957 | 103 |
| 1920s | 35,449 | 107 |
| 1930s | 17,686 | 186 |
| 1940s | 11,034 | 312 |
| 1950s | 6,974 | 491 |
| 1960s | 3,869 | 758 |
| 1970s | 2,142 | 1,064 |
| 1980s | 1,572 | 1,541 |
| 1990s | 2,104 | 1,485 |
| 2000s | 2,274 | 1,444 |
| 2010s | 1,639 | 2,224 |
| 2020s | 952 | 2,402 |
Where Elmer is heading
Elmer has risen 8% over the past decade, from 153 babies in 2015 to 165 in 2025.
That is less than 5% of its 1918 peak — Elmer is now a rare name in the United States.
Names like Elmer
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Elmer.