Total births
15,979
Boys' name · since 1880
Wilmer
15,979 babies named Wilmer in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1920. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #1834
- among boys today
- 15,979
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 87%
- more common than other boys
15,979 babies have been named Wilmer since 1880, making it today's #1834 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show Wilmer recorded 15,979 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #1834 nationally today, ahead of 87% of boys, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #1834 among boys today
- 15,979 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 87% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Wilmer is currently the #1834 boys' name in America, more common than 87% of boys - 15,979 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #1834
- among boys today
- 15,979
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 87%
- more common than other boys
Wilmer vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1834
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 87% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
22% of everyone ever named Wilmer was born in this single decade.
1920
Single peak year
443 babies were named Wilmer in 1920 - its busiest year on record.
How Wilmer compares
15,979 Top 6% higher than 94% of 14,294 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
Wilmer's all-time total is 44x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Wilmer | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 15,979 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 443 | 23 | 22,252 |
Wilmer's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Wilmer splits its recorded history at 1953: 34% of all births land in the more recent half, 66% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1881 (11 births) -- compare that against the 1920 peak of 443 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Wilmer at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1920
Current rank
#1,834
Active since
1880
Wilmer popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1920)
- 443
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Wilmer popularity over time - girls
743 total births recorded since 1900 (Wilmer as girls' name)
Wilmer by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Wilmer's strongest decade.
3,525 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 22% of all-time use.
Wilmer births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 163
1880s
163 births
- 1890s 218
1890s
218 births
- 1900s 365
1900s
365 births
- 1910s
1910s
2,434 births
- 1920s
1920s
3,525 births
- 1930s
1930s
2,073 births
- 1940s
1940s
1,454 births
- 1950s 912
1950s
912 births
- 1960s 601
1960s
601 births
- 1970s 365
1970s
365 births
- 1980s 407
1980s
407 births
- 1990s 636
1990s
636 births
- 2000s 1,241
2000s
1,241 births
- 2010s 997
2010s
997 births
- 2020s 588
2020s
588 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 3,525 births (22% of all-time use).
How Wilmer 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 Wilmer's total volume
Wilmer vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Wilmer by state
Where Wilmer concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Pennsylvania | | 1,683 | 10.5% |
| #2 | Texas | | 964 | 6.0% |
| #3 | Louisiana | | 689 | 4.3% |
| #4 | Virginia | | 672 | 4.2% |
| #5 | Alabama | | 626 | 3.9% |
| #6 | California | | 626 | 3.9% |
| #7 | New York | | 571 | 3.6% |
| #8 | Florida | | 480 | 3.0% |
Pennsylvania share of Wilmer's total US births 10.5%
Even split
1,683 of 15,979 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 36 reporting states.
Wilmer appears in 36 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Wilmer? ▼
Wilmer has been given to 15,979 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #1834 as of the latest data. 443 babies were born in 1920, its single highest year.
When was Wilmer most popular? ▼
Wilmer was most popular in the 1920s decade with 3,525 total births. The single peak year was 1920.
Where is Wilmer most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Wilmer are Pennsylvania (1,683 births), Texas (964 births), Louisiana (689 births).
How long has the name Wilmer been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Wilmer since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Wilmer? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include William, Willie, Willard, Wilbur, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Wilmer's data
- Wilmer's decade-level peak was the 1920s (3,525 total births); usage has since declined to 588 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Pennsylvania records the most Wilmers (1,683 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Pennsylvania 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 Wilmer
Nearby Names Like Wilmer
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Wilmer
William Boy
#10 4,199,696 births
Willie Boy
#1364 450,188 births
Willard Boy
#2958 77,658 births
Wilbur Boy
#2959 56,906 births
Willis Boy
#2638 52,336 births
Compare Wilmer side by side: Wilmer vs William Wilmer vs Willie Wilmer vs Willard
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Wilmer
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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Wilmer: #1834 Boys' Name - 15,979 Births, Peak 1920." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/wilmer. 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 Wilmer 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.