| Gender | 🧑 Boy |
| Pronunciation | 📣 \e-lmer, el-mer\ |
| Number of People | 👶 130,000 |
| Rate in 2021 | 2836 |
| Numerology | 🔢 8 |
| Name origin | 🌍 English |
Elmer is an Old English name that stands for "noble and famous." The name is derived from the Old English elements "æþele," meaning noble, and "mær," meaning famous. This is a name that carries a strong connotation and one that implies a person of high standing, someone renowned for their nobility and achievements.
The name Elmer has a rich history and origin. It is derived from the Old English name "Aylmer" or "Æþelmær," which was composed of the elements "æþele," meaning noble, and "mær," meaning famous. During the Middle Ages, Elmer was quite popular in England. However, its usage diminished after the Norman Conquest, only to see a revival in the 19th century. Today, while not as common, Elmer retains a classic, timeless appeal.
Famous People Named Elmer:
Elmer Bernstein, a renowned American composer and conductor, is perhaps one of the most famous people named Elmer. Elmer Rice, a prominent American playwright, was another famous figure bearing this name.
Popularity:
While Elmer isn't amongst the most popular names today, it has had its share of popularity. According to the Social Security Administration, Elmer was amongst the top 100 names for boys in the United States for the first half of the 20th century.
Personality Traits:
People named Elmer are often believed to have a strong and noble personality, reflecting the meaning of their name. They are seen as reliable, responsible, and capable of making great achievements.
Other Interesting Information:
Elmer is also a well-known name in pop culture, thanks to Elmer Fudd, the famous character from the Looney Tunes cartoons. This gives the name Elmer a touch of nostalgia and familiarity. Despite its old-fashioned image, Elmer has a certain charm that makes it a name worth considering for parents seeking a traditional yet unique name for their child.
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A popular name when American playwright Elmer Rice was born in 1892 and when American composer Elmer Ber'stein was born in 1922, but now much less common today than it was back then. There have been several things which caused its decline in popularity in the 20th century - Sinclair Lewis' 1927 novel 'Elmer Gantry', Bugs Bunny's arch-enemy Elmer Fudd, Elmer the Bull (he's the husband of Elsie the Cow), and Elmer's Glue. Alongside Wilbur and Mortimer, Elmer is almost like the male equivalent of "Ethel" and "Beulah" in ter's of their present-day grandparent-ish images. Though they were all considered cool pre-1900, they are totally uncool today.
Conjures up two images: either New York Jewish men born between 1892 and 1922 (Elmer Rice and Elmer Ber'stein respectively), or Deep South redneck characters (like Elmer Fudd).
Elmer Fudd in the Bugs Bunny cartoons was noted for saying "Shhh! Be vewwy vewwy quiet. I'm hunting wabbits". Obviously, Elmer is not the good name that it had been a century ago when it was popular, and Elmer Fudd was certainly a villainous character in them cartoons. Now there is also Elmer the Patchwork Elephant of many colours, another thing to discourage most parents from ever giving their children'this old-fashioned name, and Elmer's Glue is yet another negative association. This name definitely belongs in the retirement home with fellow grandpas Herman (think 'The Munsters') and Wilbur (as in the pig in E.B. White's novel 'Charlotte's Web' and also Elmer the Patchwork Elephant's black and white cousin), as well as grandmas Ethel (as in I Love Lucy's Ethel Mertz), Beulah (think the TV series of the Fifties with the black maid of that name), and Hortense (which sounds like a combination of the words "whore" and "tense").
Elmer Fudd in Bugs Bunny was the reason for this name's decline in popularity in recent decades.
My Dad's name was Henry Elmer. Since his Dad's name was Henry, the family started calling him Elmer to cut down on confusion around the house. I think the name is wonderful because the Dad I loved was wonderful
Another thing, besides Elmer Fudd, which caused this name's decline in popularity in the 20th century is, of course, Elmer's Glue. I don't render this name a classic, but just a plain so-far-out-it'll-probably-always-be-out name.