Unisex name · since 1918

Zelmer

52 babies named Zelmer in U.S. Social Security records since 1918, with the highest year being 1920. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.

#21,983 of 45,481
all-time among boys
52
born since 1918
1920s
peak decade

52 boys have been named Zelmer since 1918, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.

Social Security Administration records show Zelmer recorded 52 times among boys since 1918, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used boys names, 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 1918 to 1946.

  • #21,983 of 45,481 all-time among boys
  • 52 born since 1918
  • 1920s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Zelmer ranks #21,983 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 52 born since 1918, peaking in the 1920s.

#21,983 of 45,481
all-time among boys
52
born since 1918
1920s
peak decade
Below the archive median
All-time archive position

Zelmer's 52 recorded births place it above 51.66% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.

National only
State-record footprint

No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.

Zelmer's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Splitting Zelmer's full recorded timeline at 1924, 52% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 48% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1918, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1920 peak of 9 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.

Zelmer popularity over time - boys

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1918–1946

Last recorded 1946
Peak year (1920)
9
Annual births at peak, across 29 years of records
45678910 191819191920192219241926193019351946 6

Zelmer popularity over time - girls

16 total births recorded since 1914 (Zelmer as girls' name)

Unisex variant - 16 births
4.555.566.5 191419161924 6

Zelmer by decade

1920s is the heaviest window (25 births, 48% of the file).

1920s was Zelmer's strongest decade.

25 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 48% of all-time use.

Zelmer births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1920s at 25 births (48% of all-time use).

Source U.S. Social Security Administration · Baby Names As of August 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Zelmer? ▼
Since 1918, Social Security records show 52 babies named Zelmer. Across the full SSA archive it ranks #21,983 of 45,481 boys' names by total births. The most recent recorded year was 1946. Its busiest year on record was 1920, with 9 births.
Where does Zelmer sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Zelmer ranks #21,983 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). All-time ordinal matches browse popularity (total births DESC); the current ordinal uses the null SSA file. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
When was Zelmer most popular? ▼
Zelmer was most popular in the 1920s decade with 25 total births. The single peak year was 1920.
Is Zelmer a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Zelmer is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 52 births, and as a girl's name it has 16 births.
How long has the name Zelmer been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Zelmer since 1918 -- 29 years through the most recent 1946 data.
What names are similar to Zelmer? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Zell, Zelig, Zelma, Zeldris, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.

What to do with Zelmer's data

  • Zelmer's decade-level peak was the 1920s (25 total births); usage has since declined to 6 in the 1940s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.

Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.

Keep exploring Zelmer

Nearby Names Like Zelmer

Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Zelmer

Zell Boy
213 births
Zelig Boy
#8554 190 births
Zelma Boy
112 births
Zeldris Boy
35 births
Zeland Boy
23 births

Compare Zelmer side by side: Zelmer vs Zell Zelmer vs Zelig Zelmer vs Zelma

Or pick any two names to compare →

Related Names

Names with a similar number of total births

Virge
52 births · Peak 1921
Snowden
52 births · Peak 1924
Moran
52 births · Peak 1916
Lowe
52 births · Peak 2024
Pincus
52 births · Peak 1924
Algird
52 births · Peak 1920
Berney
52 births · Peak 1962
Olice
52 births · Peak 1921

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Zelmer: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.

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, 1918–1946 (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 Zelmer 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.