Origin of Elmer

The name Elmer is a variant of the surname Aethelmaer. It’s roots can be traced to 7th century, when it was used as a personal name. The first known record of Elmer as a surname was in William the Conqueror’s census, “The Domesday Book” of 1086.

Meaning of Elmer

Aethelmaer combines two Old English words: aethel, meaning noble, and maer, the medieval word for well-known. The meaning of Elmer translates to “noble” and “famous. It is known as a boy’s name, but can be used as girl’s name in the form of Elmira.

Popularity of Elmer

The name Elmer’s popularity peaked in the 1890’s Elmer when it was ranked 36th globally for popular names. It’s currently a rare name with only 10-30 babies named Elmer per year.

Famous Elmers

• Elmer Fudd is a fictional character in the series Looney Tunes. He is an antagonist for Bugs Bunny and is known for his foolhardy hunting arc. His signature catchphrase is, “Be vewy vewy quiet, I’m hunting wabbits”.
• Elmer Rees, held the post of Director of the Heilbronn Institute for Mathematical Research and worked with the British Signals Intelligence Agency.
• Elmer Bernstein is a late American composer who is famous for his work Ghostbusters (1984), The Great Escape (1963), Cape Fear (1991), Animal House (1978), The Magnificent Seven (1960), Rookies (1972-78), and the Age of Innocence (1993).

Useful Resources

Discover the meaning and popularity of other English boys’ names.