NameRealm
Elmer

Elmer: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning
“noble and famous”
Origin
Old English
Say it
EL-mer · 2 syllables
Used for
Boys

From Old English Æðelmær, combining elements meaning noble and famous. It also overlaps with a similar Germanic name tradition.

English namesGerman namesNames meaning nobleClassic namesVintage names

How popular is Elmer?

202454.0 per million US babies
1880192019602000
Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Babies named Elmer in 2024178

2024 rank#1,166 boys

Peak year1884

Total US babies since 1880131,169

Elmer is steady now but far below its 1884 peak.

Names like Elmer

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

  • Wesleywestern meadow · Old English
  • Westonwestern settlement · Old English
  • Blakeblack; pale · Old English
  • Edwardwealthy guardian · Old English
  • Ashtonash tree town · Old English
  • Kingstonking's town · Old English
  • Brandonbroom-covered hill · Old English
  • Bentleybent-grass clearing · Old English

Elmer questions

What does the name Elmer mean?

Elmer means "noble and famous". It comes from Old English. From Old English Æðelmær, combining elements meaning noble and famous. It also overlaps with a similar Germanic name tradition.

Is Elmer a boy or girl name?

Elmer is mainly a boy's name in US records (99% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Elmer?

178 US babies were named Elmer in 2024. Its peak year was 1884.

How do you pronounce Elmer?

Elmer is usually pronounced EL-mer.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.