Boys' name · since 1880
Elmer
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 129,591 babies named Elmer, peaking in 1918. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #258 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #1,222 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 129,591
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
129,591 babies have been named Elmer since 1880, making it today's #1222 boys' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Elmer has been recorded 129,591 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #1222 nationally and more common than 91% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #258 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #1,222 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 129,591 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Elmer ranks #258 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #1,222 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 129,591 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #258 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #1,222 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 129,591
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
Elmer's 129,591 recorded births place it above 99.43% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
51 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Pennsylvania.
How Elmer compares
129,591 Top 2% higher than 98% of 13,930 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Elmer's all-time total is 351x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Elmer | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 129,591 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 4,373 | 34 | 22,252 |
Elmer's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Elmer splits its recorded history at 1953: 15% of all births land in the more recent half, 85% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 2020 (138 births) -- compare that against the 1918 peak of 4,373 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Elmer popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1918)
- 4,373
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Elmer popularity over time - girls
1,753 total births recorded since 1885 (Elmer as girls' name)
Elmer by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (34,919 births, 27% of the file).
1920s was Elmer's strongest decade.
34,919 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 27% of all-time use.
Elmer births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 4,627
1880s
4,627 births
- 1890s 5,647
1890s
5,647 births
- 1900s 6,161
1900s
6,161 births
- 1910s
1910s
28,600 births
- 1920s
1920s
34,919 births
- 1930s
1930s
17,371 births
- 1940s 10,879
1940s
10,879 births
- 1950s 6,881
1950s
6,881 births
- 1960s 3,833
1960s
3,833 births
- 1970s 2,137
1970s
2,137 births
- 1980s 1,567
1980s
1,567 births
- 1990s 2,104
1990s
2,104 births
- 2000s 2,274
2000s
2,274 births
- 2010s 1,639
2010s
1,639 births
- 2020s 952
2020s
952 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 34,919 births (27% of all-time use).
How Elmer compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Elmer's total volume
Elmer by state
Where Elmer concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Pennsylvania | | 9,678 | 7.5% |
| #2 | Illinois | | 6,995 | 5.4% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 6,284 | 4.8% |
| #4 | Texas | | 5,569 | 4.3% |
| #5 | Kentucky | | 5,190 | 4.0% |
| #6 | Missouri | | 4,849 | 3.7% |
| #7 | California | | 4,588 | 3.5% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 4,104 | 3.2% |
9,678 of 129,591 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Elmer appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Elmer? ▼
Where does Elmer sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Elmer most popular? ▼
Where is Elmer most popular? ▼
How long has the name Elmer been used? ▼
What names are similar to Elmer? ▼
What to do with Elmer's data
- Elmer's decade-level peak was the 1920s (34,919 total births); usage has since declined to 952 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Pennsylvania records the most Elmers (9,678 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Pennsylvania names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Elmer
Nearby Names Like Elmer
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Elmer
Compare Elmer side by side: Elmer vs Elmo Elmer vs Elmore Elmer vs Elmon
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Elmer
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Elmer: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1918)
Similar record span (~145 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Elmer draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.