Elmer

English

"noble and renowned"

Elmer Origin and Meaning

The name Elmer is a boy's name of English origin meaning "noble and renowned".

Thanks to Elmer Fudd, Elmer the Cow, and even Elmer's glue, this name has become a bit of a joke -- the quintessential so-far-out-it-will-always-be-out name. But with its trendy El-beginning and popular er-ending, who knows?

Hard as it may be to believe today, Elmer was a Top 100 name for at least 50+ years--until 1937--hitting Number 38 at the turn of the last century. One literary reference is the title character in Sinclair Lewis's novel Elmer Gantry; real life namesakes include playwright Elmer Rice and composer Elmer Bernstein. "Elmer's Tune" is a jazz classic.

Elmer Rank in US Top 1000

# 925 in the US

Elmer Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

# 1235 on Nameberry

Popularity of the name Elmer

• 1235 Nameberry 2025
• 353 Unique 2023

20 Names Similar to Elmer

These 20 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Elmer.

• Bertie
• Fritz
• Homer
• Clem
• Ned
• Humphrey
• Morris
• Orville
• Seymour
• Herbert
• Walt
• Hal
• Woodrow
• Waldo
• Hubert
• Lou
• Barney
• Wendell
• Clive
• Abe

Famous People Named Elmer

• Elmer Rice American playwright
• Elmer Sperry American inventor
• Elmer Bernstein American composer
• Elmer Drew Merrill American botanist
• Elmer Francis Layden American NFL player, coach and commissioner
• (John William) Elmer Thomas U.S. Senator from Oklahoma
• Elmer James Lach Canadian ice hockey player
• Elmer Dessens (Jusaino) Mexican baseball player
• Elmer Ellsworth "Sy" Sutcliffe American baseball player
• Elmer Earl "Butch" Hartman American animator

The name Elmer in Pop Culture

• Elmer Fudd Loony Tunes character
• Elmer Elephant Silly Symphonies cartoon character
• "Elmer Gantry " novel by Sinclair Lewis, film, and its main character
• Elmer the Bull mascot for Elmer's Glue