Elmer

Elmer is a name of Germanic British origin. The given name originated as a surname, a medieval variant of the given name Aylmer, derived from Old English æþel (noble) and mær (famous). It was adopted as a given name in the United States, "in honor of the popularity of the brothers Ebenezer and Jonathan Elmer, leading supporters of the American Revolution."[1] The name has declined in popularity since the first decades of the 20th century and fell out of the top 1,000 names used for American boys in 2009. However, it continues in use for newborn boys in the United States, where 167 boys born there in 2022 received the name.[2] The name is common in the United States and Canada. Elmar, a variant, was among the 10 most popular names for newborn boys in Iceland in 2021.[3]

Notable people with the name include:

Mononym

  • Eilmer of Malmesbury (or Elmer), 11th-century English Benedictine monk
  • Elmer (rapper), Dutch rapper Merel Pauw
  • In North American amateur radio subculture, an Elmer is a mentor to a newcoming amateur radio operator[4]

Given name

Surname

Fictional characters

See also

  • All pages with titles beginning with Elmer
  • Aylmer, a surname

Notes

  1. Patrick Hanks and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of First Names (Oxford UP, 1990), p. 101.
  2. "Popular Baby Names".
  3. https://www.skra.is/um-okkur/frettir/frett/2022/10/27/Vinsaelustu-nofnin-2021/
  4. The term first appeared in the March, 1971 issue of QST magazine's "How's DX" column by Rod Newkirk, W9BRD (now also VA3ZBB). Newkirk called them "the unsung fathers of Amateur Radio." While he probably was not trying to coin a term at the time, here's how Newkirk introduced "Elmer" in his column and, as it turned out, to the rest of the amateur radio world: "Too frequently one hears a sad story in this little nutshell: 'Oh, I almost got a ticket, too, but Elmer, W9XYZ, moved away and I kind of lost interest.'" Newkirk went on to say, "We need those Elmers. All the Elmers, including the ham who took the most time and trouble to give you a push toward your license, are the birds who keep this great game young and fresh."
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