The Elmer surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 6,119 people carried this name — #5,671 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 48,300 people counted. That is up 4% from 5,896 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Elmer surname

A surname transferred from the given name.

Medieval variant of the given name Aylmer, from Old English Æþelmǣr, from æþel (“noble”) + mǣre (“famous”).

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Elmer» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a baptismal name, from a given name: ‘the son of Elmer’.

An early record he cites: Walter Elmer, Somerset, 1327–28 (1 Edward III) — Kirby's Quest (Somerset).

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 271 · public domain.

In Switzerland’s population statistics

1,076 people named Elmer live in Switzerland.

They live in 19 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they live today

Zurich 335
Glarus 276
St. Gallen 128
Schwyz 76
Graubünden 46
Bern 43
Aargau 34
Thurgau 21

Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.

In Poland’s population register

61 people named Elmer have a registered home in Poland.

Of the 87 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 8 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in West Pomeranian.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

West Pomeranian 24
Opole 10
Kuyavian-Pomeranian 7
Lubusz 7
Greater Poland 5
Lower Silesian 3
Masovian 3
Pomeranian 2

PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.

In Argentina’s national register

At least 42 people named Elmer live in Argentina.

RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Entre Ríos.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Entre Ríos 25
Buenos Aires Province 17

RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.

In the Nordic population registers

153 people named Elmer is counted in Sweden.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 153

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).

In print

Elmer in American newspapers,
1844–1920.

Newspaper page from Daily National Intelligencer carrying the name Elmer
Daily National Intelligencer 1844-05-17
Newspaper page from The Harlem News carrying the name Elmer
The Harlem News 1920-03-19
Newspaper page from New-york Tribune carrying the name Elmer
New-york Tribune 1883-06-11

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 25,272 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Elmer in Australian newspapers,
1840s–2000s.

6,968 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Elmer. The most, 2,742, date from the 1940s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Tasmania, at 4.5 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Tasmania 1,884
New South Wales 1,429
Queensland 1,275
Victoria 1,265
South Australia 516
Western Australia 344
ACT (Canberra) 101
Northern Territory 34

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Elmer.

Who carried it

People named Elmer,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Lucius Elmer
    Lucius Elmer 1793–1883 · judge
  • Johann Heinrich Elmer 1600– · architect
  • Johann Heinrich Elmer 1600–1679
  • Elizabeth Elmer Hobart 1604–
  • Johann Christof Elmer 1639–1696
  • Stephen Elmer 1717–1796 · painter

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Elmer,
in the records of 9 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States784 records

784 records of the Elmer name in the United States
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 215
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 176
  • Other U.S. records 393
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Edward C. Elmer

    Born 1925 in New York. Enlisted 1943 at Syracuse; driver from Onondaga County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1945, buried at Woodlawn National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Anna Elmer

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the Saale from Bremen and Southampton, aged 32; servant. From Friedrichsberg, Germany; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Robert R. Elmer

    Born 1931; from Hennepin County, Minnesota. U.S. Army, tank crewman; killed in action 1950 in South Korea.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 784 records for Elmer in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Australia278 records

278 records of the Elmer name in Australia
  • Tasmanian Names Index 192
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 40
  • Other Australian records 46
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Francis John Elmer

    Died 1925 in Quamby Brook, Deloraine, Tasmania. Will registered in Tasmania in 1925.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Arthur Edward Elmer

    Born 1879 in Port Sorell, Tasmania. Died 1934 in Tasmania, aged 55.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Henry Thomas Elmer

    Born 1844 in Launceston, Tasmania. Married 1872 in Port Sorell, Tasmania, aged 27.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 278 records for Elmer in Australia.

Counts: Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Netherlands106 records

106 records of the Elmer name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 54
  • Dutch population registers 32
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 20
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Maria Elmer

    Married in 1845 in Maastricht. Died 1908 in Maastricht, aged 87.

    Open Archives, Regionaal Historisch Centrum Limburg (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Jan Willem Elmer

    Born 1834 in Maastricht. Died 1886 in Maastricht, aged 51.

    Open Archives, Regionaal Historisch Centrum Limburg (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Maria Gertrudis Elmer

    Born 1842 in Maastricht. Died 1843 in Maastricht.

    Open Archives, Regionaal Historisch Centrum Limburg (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 106 records for Elmer in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Germany57 records

57 records of the Elmer name in Germany
  • Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919 56
  • German estate files 1
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Friedrich Elmer

    From Oberhausen. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 31 March 1917.

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Thomas Elmer

    Estate settled in 1912.

    Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek / Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0)
  3. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Heinrich Elmer

    From Hamminkeln. Reported taken prisoner in the Prussian casualty list of 11 January 1918.

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Showing 3 of 57 records for Elmer in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0) · Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Switzerland17 records

17 records of the Elmer name in Switzerland Zürich marriage records, 16th–18th centuries
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Susanna Elmer

    Married in 1699 in Rüti, canton of Zürich; of Glarus.

    Staatsarchiv des Kantons Zürich, Zürcher Ehedaten (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Peter Elmer

    Married in 1682 in Fehraltorf, canton of Zürich; of Elm Gl.

    Staatsarchiv des Kantons Zürich, Zürcher Ehedaten (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Elisabeth Elmer

    Married in 1734 in Meilen, canton of Zürich; of Glarus.

    Staatsarchiv des Kantons Zürich, Zürcher Ehedaten (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 17 records for Elmer in Switzerland.

Counts: Staatsarchiv des Kantons Zürich, Zürcher Ehedaten (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

France14 records

14 records of the Elmer name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Anna Alice Elmer

    Born 1891 in Lyon; died 1973 in Lyon (Rhône).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Jean Claude Elmer

    Born 1938 in Chalon-sur-Saône (Saône-et-Loire); died 1995 in Sorbiers (Loire).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  3. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Emilie Anna Elmer

    Born 1909 in Strasbourg; died 1982 in Bischheim (Bas-Rhin).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 14 records for Elmer in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Canada12 records

12 records of the Elmer name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 5
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 2
  • Other Canadian records 5
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Christopher Elmer

    Died 1952; buried at Brookside Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Graeme Elmer

    Died 1966; buried at Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, British Columbia.

    City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record William Elmer

    Died 1915 in Amherst, Cumberland, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 12 records for Elmer in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

United Kingdom10 records

10 records of the Elmer name in the United Kingdom War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record W. Elmer

    Labour Corps. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record J. B. Elmer

    Machine Gun Guards. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 2 of 10 records for Elmer in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand1 record

1 record of the Elmer name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Albert Elmer

    Died 2001, aged 80; buried at Avonhead Memorial Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Elmer.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Elmer is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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