Wilmer
Wilmer was given to 94 boys in 2025, #1,742 among boys’ names; 16,722 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 6,180 Americans named Wilmer and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (37% of everyone recorded); the median is 31 years old and half are between 16 and 67.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Wilmer by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Wilmer mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Wilmer is “a male given name.” Its etymology gives the senses “mind, will, determination, purpose, desire, wish” (willa) and “famous” (mǣre).
From Old English willa (“mind, will, determination, purpose, desire, wish”) + mǣre (“famous”), from Proto-Germanic *Wiljamērijaz, from *wiljô + *mērijaz.
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Wilmer?
#1,742 among boys’ names, 2025
Wilmer fell from #1,579 in 2015 to #1,742 in 2025 among boys’ names, although its share of boys born rose from 53.7 to 55.0 per million.
473 babies in 1920, the peak
Wilmer peaked in 1920, when 473 babies were given it (443 boys, #259 among boys’ names). The 94 births of 2025 are 20% of that peak.
Births by sex.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 94 | #1,742 | 0.06 |
| 2024 | 88 | #1,854 | 0.05 |
| 2023 | 115 | #1,537 | 0.07 |
| 2022 | 109 | #1,610 | 0.06 |
| 2021 | 106 | #1,613 | 0.06 |
| 2020 | 76 | #1,935 | 0.04 |
| 2019 | 95 | #1,688 | 0.05 |
| 2018 | 96 | #1,670 | 0.05 |
| 2017 | 82 | #1,826 | 0.04 |
| 2016 | 108 | #1,547 | 0.06 |
Every recorded year (146)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 103 | #1,579 | 0.05 |
| 2014 | 99 | #1,596 | 0.05 |
| 2013 | 88 | #1,692 | 0.05 |
| 2012 | 94 | #1,655 | 0.05 |
| 2011 | 108 | #1,502 | 0.06 |
| 2010 | 124 | #1,371 | 0.06 |
| 2009 | 135 | #1,303 | 0.07 |
| 2008 | 120 | #1,413 | 0.06 |
| 2007 | 175 | #1,069 | 0.08 |
| 2006 | 149 | #1,143 | 0.07 |
| 2005 | 137 | #1,168 | 0.07 |
| 2004 | 116 | #1,289 | 0.06 |
| 2003 | 100 | #1,362 | 0.05 |
| 2002 | 101 | #1,322 | 0.05 |
| 2001 | 113 | #1,200 | 0.06 |
| 2000 | 95 | #1,349 | 0.05 |
| 1999 | 79 | #1,467 | 0.04 |
| 1998 | 66 | #1,598 | 0.03 |
| 1997 | 73 | #1,476 | 0.04 |
| 1996 | 62 | #1,594 | 0.03 |
| 1995 | 62 | #1,543 | 0.03 |
| 1994 | 55 | #1,657 | 0.03 |
| 1993 | 65 | #1,454 | 0.03 |
| 1992 | 74 | #1,315 | 0.04 |
| 1991 | 50 | #1,669 | 0.02 |
| 1990 | 50 | #1,656 | 0.02 |
| 1989 | 51 | #1,584 | 0.03 |
| 1988 | 50 | #1,508 | 0.03 |
| 1987 | 60 | #1,269 | 0.03 |
| 1986 | 42 | #1,586 | 0.02 |
| 1985 | 46 | #1,482 | 0.02 |
| 1984 | 34 | #1,721 | 0.02 |
| 1983 | 29 | #1,902 | 0.02 |
| 1982 | 34 | #1,731 | 0.02 |
| 1981 | 30 | #1,897 | 0.02 |
| 1980 | 31 | #1,850 | 0.02 |
| 1979 | 36 | #1,631 | 0.02 |
| 1978 | 29 | #1,833 | 0.02 |
| 1977 | 29 | #1,821 | 0.02 |
| 1976 | 34 | #1,606 | 0.02 |
| 1975 | 36 | #1,503 | 0.02 |
| 1974 | 32 | #1,581 | 0.02 |
| 1973 | 40 | #1,328 | 0.03 |
| 1972 | 35 | #1,452 | 0.02 |
| 1971 | 46 | #1,234 | 0.03 |
| 1970 | 48 | #1,206 | 0.03 |
| 1969 | 52 | #1,085 | 0.03 |
| 1968 | 53 | #1,025 | 0.03 |
| 1967 | 52 | #1,017 | 0.03 |
| 1966 | 54 | #997 | 0.03 |
| 1965 | 47 | #1,093 | 0.03 |
| 1964 | 68 | #928 | 0.03 |
| 1963 | 63 | #954 | 0.03 |
| 1962 | 62 | #971 | 0.03 |
| 1961 | 79 | #865 | 0.04 |
| 1960 | 71 | #903 | 0.03 |
| 1959 | 79 | #862 | 0.04 |
| 1958 | 71 | #900 | 0.03 |
| 1957 | 87 | #811 | 0.04 |
| 1956 | 79 | #847 | 0.04 |
| 1955 | 105 | #713 | 0.05 |
| 1954 | 83 | #793 | 0.04 |
| 1953 | 95 | #736 | 0.05 |
| 1952 | 112 | #657 | 0.06 |
| 1951 | 108 | #673 | 0.06 |
| 1950 | 93 | #714 | 0.05 |
| 1949 | 120 | #622 | 0.07 |
| 1948 | 137 | #570 | 0.08 |
| 1947 | 148 | #555 | 0.08 |
| 1946 | 125 | #576 | 0.08 |
| 1945 | 115 | #562 | 0.09 |
| 1944 | 147 | #501 | 0.11 |
| 1943 | 189 | #459 | 0.13 |
| 1942 | 146 | #507 | 0.11 |
| 1941 | 169 | #454 | 0.14 |
| 1940 | 158 | #461 | 0.14 |
| 1939 | 156 | #462 | 0.14 |
| 1938 | 177 | #431 | 0.16 |
| 1937 | 181 | #422 | 0.17 |
| 1936 | 184 | #404 | 0.18 |
| 1935 | 194 | #394 | 0.19 |
| 1934 | 197 | #394 | 0.19 |
| 1933 | 207 | #378 | 0.21 |
| 1932 | 248 | #352 | 0.24 |
| 1931 | 264 | #335 | 0.25 |
| 1930 | 265 | #347 | 0.24 |
| 1929 | 270 | #341 | 0.25 |
| 1928 | 298 | #325 | 0.27 |
| 1927 | 337 | #313 | 0.30 |
| 1926 | 312 | #323 | 0.28 |
| 1925 | 356 | #302 | 0.32 |
| 1924 | 365 | #299 | 0.32 |
| 1923 | 351 | #300 | 0.32 |
| 1922 | 368 | #295 | 0.34 |
| 1921 | 425 | #272 | 0.39 |
| 1920 | 443 | #259 | 0.42 |
| 1919 | 333 | #297 | 0.34 |
| 1918 | 344 | #298 | 0.34 |
| 1917 | 342 | #279 | 0.37 |
| 1916 | 343 | #275 | 0.39 |
| 1915 | 352 | #256 | 0.41 |
| 1914 | 255 | #273 | 0.39 |
| 1913 | 197 | #281 | 0.38 |
| 1912 | 134 | #326 | 0.31 |
| 1911 | 78 | #304 | 0.35 |
| 1910 | 56 | #331 | 0.29 |
| 1909 | 45 | #354 | 0.27 |
| 1908 | 43 | #348 | 0.28 |
| 1907 | 40 | #350 | 0.27 |
| 1906 | 37 | #345 | 0.28 |
| 1905 | 37 | #336 | 0.28 |
| 1904 | 37 | #334 | 0.29 |
| 1903 | 36 | #317 | 0.30 |
| 1902 | 25 | #413 | 0.20 |
| 1901 | 22 | #406 | 0.21 |
| 1900 | 43 | #329 | 0.29 |
| 1899 | 15 | #520 | 0.14 |
| 1898 | 26 | #393 | 0.21 |
| 1897 | 15 | #555 | 0.13 |
| 1896 | 22 | #423 | 0.18 |
| 1895 | 27 | #367 | 0.23 |
| 1894 | 23 | #398 | 0.20 |
| 1893 | 28 | #340 | 0.25 |
| 1892 | 28 | #370 | 0.23 |
| 1891 | 19 | #410 | 0.19 |
| 1890 | 15 | #510 | 0.14 |
| 1889 | 14 | #524 | 0.13 |
| 1888 | 16 | #502 | 0.13 |
| 1887 | 15 | #458 | 0.15 |
| 1886 | 19 | #416 | 0.17 |
| 1885 | 16 | #479 | 0.15 |
| 1884 | 18 | #449 | 0.16 |
| 1883 | 15 | #478 | 0.14 |
| 1882 | 20 | #415 | 0.18 |
| 1881 | 11 | #562 | 0.11 |
| 1880 | 19 | #401 | 0.17 |
Ranks and shares: boys’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all boys SSA recorded that year.
Is Wilmer a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Of the 16,722 Americans recorded as Wilmer, 4% are girls and 96% boys. In 2025 it went to 94 boys; SSA lists no girls with it that year (fewer than 5, or none).
Years with fewer than 20 babies given the name are left blank.
Girls and boys named Wilmer: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Wilmer, and how old are they?
6,180 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 37% of the 16,722 Americans ever recorded as Wilmer. The median Wilmer alive today is 31 years old; half are between 16 and 67.
The 2020 Census counted 12,924 people named Wilmer (186 women and girls, 12,738 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 6,503 born in the U.S. The Census count is 2.0 times that prediction. Possible reasons: the Census counts people born abroad, whom SSA’s files leave out, and it records the name people give, which SSA may have recorded under another spelling or as part of a compound name.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 648 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 1,180 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 573 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 756 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 1,760 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 1,250 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Wilmer born?
The states with the most babies named Wilmer are Pennsylvania, Texas and Louisiana, with 31% of its births recorded by state since 1910; Louisiana is not among the ten states with the most births.
| State | Since 1910 | Rank, boys | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 1,683 | not ranked | 1.5× |
| Texas | 980 | #1,901 | 0.9× |
| Louisiana | 695 | not ranked | 2.2× |
| Virginia | 672 | #1,243 | 1.7× |
| Alabama | 654 | not ranked | 1.7× |
| California | 626 | #1,576 | 0.6× |
| New York | 571 | #1,403 | 0.4× |
| Florida | 480 | not ranked | 1.2× |
| Georgia | 432 | not ranked | 0.9× |
| Wisconsin | 420 | not ranked | 1.1× |
Where Wilmer is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Wilmer is most over-represented in Louisiana: since 1910 it was given 2.2 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among boys’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Wilmer with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names spelled alike
Of these 4 names spelled alike, given to 17,715 babies since 1880, Wilmer is the most given (94% of them). In 2025 it was given to 94 of their 101 babies (93%), again the most given.
Spelled alike: names in the SSA national file with the same pattern of letters and sounds and at most two letters apart, and Wiktionary’s listed forms; births since 1880 and in 2025, and each name’s peak year, from the SSA national file, published May 8, 2026. Some are separate names, not spellings of one.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Wilmer
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about Wilmer and names like it
- Compare Wilmer and WilmarBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 1920sWilmer peaked in 1920.
- Pennsylvania’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Wilmer since 1910.
- The top names of 1920The year the most babies were named Wilmer.
- The names of Generation ZMost people named Wilmer alive today were born 1997-2012.
- Names starting with WMost given first.