Total births
759
Boys' name · since 1887
Selmer
759 babies named Selmer in U.S. Social Security records since 1887, with the highest year being 1916. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- 759
- total births
- 1887–1950
- years on record
- 1910s
- peak decade
- 34%
- born in that decade
Selmer is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 759 have been recorded since 1887.
Selmer has 759 recorded births among boys since 1887, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1910s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1887 to 1950.
- 759 total births
- 1887–1950 years on record
- 1910s peak decade
- 34% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
759 boys have been named Selmer since 1887, peaking in the 1910s, last recorded in 1950.
- 759
- total births
- 1887–1950
- years on record
- 1910s
- peak decade
- 34%
- born in that decade
1910s
Peak decade
34% of everyone ever named Selmer was born in this single decade.
1916
Single peak year
43 babies were named Selmer in 1916 - its busiest year on record.
Selmer's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Selmer's SSA record in two at 1922 and the more recent half accounts for 43% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 57%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1894, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1916 peak of 43, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Selmer at a glance
Last recorded 1950Peak year
1916
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1887
Selmer popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1887–1950
- Peak year (1916)
- 43
- Annual births at peak, across 64 years of records
Selmer popularity over time - girls
10 total births recorded since 1917 (Selmer as girls' name)
Selmer by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1910s was Selmer's strongest decade.
257 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 34% of all-time use.
Selmer births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 12
1880s
12 births
- 1890s 63
1890s
63 births
- 1900s 47
1900s
47 births
- 1910s
1910s
257 births
- 1920s
1920s
222 births
- 1930s 90
1930s
90 births
- 1940s 63
1940s
63 births
- 1950s 5
1950s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1910s at 257 births (34% of all-time use).
How Selmer 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 Selmer's total volume
Selmer vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Selmer by state
Where Selmer concentrates geographically, total births since 1887
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Minnesota | | 99 | 13.0% |
| #2 | North Dakota | | 94 | 12.4% |
| #3 | Wisconsin | | 33 | 4.3% |
| #4 | South Dakota | | 11 | 1.4% |
| #5 | Iowa | | 5 | 0.7% |
Minnesota share of Selmer's total US births 13.0%
Even split
99 of 759 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 5 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Selmer? ▼
Selmer has been given to 759 babies in the U.S. since 1887, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 1950. 43 babies were born in 1916, its single highest year.
When was Selmer most popular? ▼
Selmer was most popular in the 1910s decade with 257 total births. The single peak year was 1916.
Where is Selmer most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Selmer are Minnesota (99 births), North Dakota (94 births), Wisconsin (33 births).
How long has the name Selmer been used? ▼
Records for Selmer go back to 1887, giving 64 years of history through 1950.
What names are similar to Selmer? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Selvin, Selwyn, Selim, Seldon, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Selmer's data
- Selmer's decade-level peak was the 1910s (257 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 1950s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Minnesota records the most Selmers (99 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Minnesota names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Selmer
Nearby Names Like Selmer
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Selmer
Selvin Boy
#2450 1,548 births
Selwyn Boy
#8352 1,408 births
Selim Boy
#2246 1,023 births
Seldon Boy
988 births
Selby Boy
688 births
Compare Selmer side by side: Selmer vs Selvin Selmer vs Selwyn Selmer vs Selim
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1887–1950 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Selmer: Baby Name Since 1887 - 759 Births, Peak 1916." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/selmer. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 Selmer 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 June 2026.