Wilmer
Masculine
Wilmer is given to both — 15,979 boys and 743 girls since 1880. See Wilmer as a girl nameSee other names given to both
Wilmer ends in two letters that English uses to mean somebody who does something. A baker bakes, a teacher teaches, and a Wilmer does nothing at all, because the ending in this name is not that ending.
How old is the name Wilmer?
Wilmer was already in use when US birth records began in 1880 — it is at least 145 years old. The typical Wilmer alive today was born around 1933, making them about 92 years old. About 6,400 people named Wilmer are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Wilmer most popular?
Wilmer peaked in 1915, reaching #256 nationally. Today it ranks #1728, 1,472 places below that high. See the whole 1915 chart.
Where it comes from
Origin, sound and short forms
Our story of Wilmer
The English agent ending is one of the most productive pieces of the language: attach it to almost any verb and you get a person who does it, including verbs invented yesterday. That productivity means the eye reads any word ending in those letters as an agent noun by default, which is why Germanic names ending the same way look faintly like job titles. They are not. The ending in them is the worn-down remains of a second name element meaning famous, the same one in Elmer and Delmer, and it has nothing to do with doing anything. The resemblance is pure coincidence and it is strong enough that most readers never question it.
Meaningnot established
Not established
The Germanic elements behind it are usually read as will and fame, and that reading is reasonably secure. The record holds this spelling for both sexes without explaining it.
Pronouncing Wilmer
WIL-mur
Two syllables with the stress in front. Nothing in it invites hesitation.
Nicknames for Wilmer
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1880
- Most boys named
- 1921425 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #256reached in 1915
- Change vs 2022
- −13.8%94 in 2025, from 109
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Wilmer in other languages
Strongest US states over the last decade: Texas, California, New York.
Wilmers among us
people named Wilmer are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 boy in 18,171 born in 2025 was named Wilmer
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
Fashion outlook
Wilmer sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Where Wilmer is headed
Wilmer should hold steady through 2030 — the curve is flat, and flat curves are the most predictable kind.
Medium confidence — fitted on official counts through 2025.
A damped-trend projection of the official birth data — a sketch of momentum, not a promise. Every name's forecast, ranked.
Wilmer beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Wilmer in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US boys given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- Will comes off the front as a short form and needs no explaining anywhere.
- It is read correctly at first sight and never needs spelling out loud.
- It is recorded for boys and for girls, so it leaves a question open rather than closing it.
- In America it reads as belonging to a much older generation, which is either the appeal or the obstacle.
- This spelling goes mostly to boys but is recorded for girls too, so a form will occasionally guess wrong.
- The name's elements are reasonably clear but the reading is not certain, so that question has a soft answer.
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What they receive
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Wilmer
Masculine · #1728 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Wilmers are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 6,400 people named Wilmer are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Wilmer in 2025?
- Wilmer ranks #1728 among US boy names in 2025, with 94 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Wilmer?
- About 1 in every 18,171 US boys born in 2025 was named Wilmer — 94 in all.
- Will my child share the name Wilmer with classmates?
- Wilmer will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Wilmer
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Jahir#1728 · Bentlee#1728 · Anson#1728 · Kain#1728 · Clinton#1728 · Eder#1728 · Fredrick#1728 · Simcha#1728
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Wilmer? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Wilmer and another name?
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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