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." The name has fallen out of popular use in the last few decades and it is uncommon to find Elmers born after World War II. The name is common in the United States and Canada.

Given name 
 Elmer L. Andersen (1909–2004), American businessman, philanthropist, and the 30th governor of Minnesota
 Elmer Bernstein (1922–2004), American composer
 Elmer Bischoff (1916–1991), American painter
 W. Elmer Brandon (1906-1956), Canadian politician, known by his middle name
 Elmer Davis (1890–1958), news reporter, author, director of the United States Office of War Information during World War II, and Peabody Award recipient
 Elmer Dessens (born 1971), major league baseball relief pitcher
 Elmer Diktonius (1896–1961), Finnish writer and composer
 Elmer E. Ellsworth (1837–1861), lawyer and soldier, and the first conspicuous casualty of the American Civil War
 Elmer Flick (1876–1971), American hall-of-fame baseball player
 Elmer Grey (1872–1963), American architect and artist
 Elmer Beseler Harris (1939-2019), American businessman and politician
 Elmer Cameron Hawley (1905-1969), American novelist
 Elmer Keith (1899–1984), firearms cartridge designer and author
 Elmer Kelton (1926–2009), American journalist and writer, particularly of Western novels
 Elmer Lach (1918-2015), Canadian professional ice hockey player
 Elmer Layden (1903–1973), commissioner of the National Football League and head football coach at the University of Notre Dame
 Elmer MacKay (born 1936), Canadian politician
 Elmer McCurdy (1880–1911), American outlaw whose corpse was put on exhibit
 Elmer Drew Merrill (1876–1956), American botanist
 Elmer Rees (born 1941), Welsh mathematician
 Elmer Rice (1892–1967), American playwright
 Elmer Riddle (1914–1984), professional baseball player for the Cincinnati Reds
 Elmer Snowden (1900–1973), American jazz musician
 Elmer Ambrose Sperry (1860–1930), prolific American inventor and entrepreneur
 Elmer Valo (1921–1998), major league baseball player, coach, and scout
 Elmer the flying monk (11th century)

Surname 
 Sir Felix Aylmer, (1889-1979), English actor of stage, screen and  television
Adolph Daniel Edward Elmer (1870–1942), American botanist
Birger Elmér (1919–1999), head of the Swedish secret intelligence agency, known as IB (1965–1975)
Charles Elmer (1872–1954), American amateur astronomer, co-founder of the Perkin-Elmer optical company
Ebenezer Elmer (1752–1843), American politician and physician
Edwin Romanzo Elmer (1850–1923), American painter
Greg Elmer (born 1967), Professor of Professional Communication at Ryerson University
James Elmer (born 1971), Australian Olympic field hockey striker
James C. Elmer (1882–1920), American college football player
John Elmer (footballer) (1905–1993), Australian rules footballer
Jonas Elmer (director) (born 1966), Danish film director, screenwriter and actor
Jonas Elmer (born 1988), Swiss footballer
Jonathan Elmer (1745–1817), American politician
Kenneth Elmer (born 1948), Canadian Olympic middle-distance runner
Lachlan Elmer (born 1969), Australian Olympic field hockey player
Lucius Elmer (1793–1883), American Democratic politician, U.S. Representative from New Jersey (1843–1845)
Rico Elmer (born 1969), Swiss ski mountaineer and mountain runner
Rudolf Elmer, whistleblower who released documents about Swiss bank Julius Bär to WikiLeak
Stephen Elmer (baptised 1715 – 1796), English painter
Terri-Rae Elmer (born 1956), Los Angeles radio broadcaster
Wally Elmer (1898–1978), Canadian ice hockey player
William Elmer (1869–1945), American silent film actor
William P. Elmer (1871–1956), U.S. Representative from Missouri (1943–1945)
Philip Elmer-DeWitt (born 1949), American computer journalist

In fiction and entertainment
 Elmer the Patchwork Elephant, the title character in a series of children's picture books by David McKee
 Elmer, a fictional bull, "husband" of Elsie the Cow
 Elmer Fudd, a Looney Tunes character
 Elmer Elephant, the titular character of a Disney Silly Symphonies short
 Elmer Gantry, the title character in a novel by Sinclair Lewis
 Elmer C. Albatross, a character in the Baccano! light novel series
 Elmer, the ventriloquist dummy used by Western film actor Max Terhune
 Elmer, a character on Pappyland
 Elmer, a character on Elliot Goes to School
 Uncle Elmer, a professional wrestler, born Stanley Fraizer
 Elmer, a comic book by Gerry Alanguilan

Other uses 
 Elmer FEM solver 
 Elmer (film), a 1976 film starring Dean Cain
 In the amateur radio subculture, an Elmer is a mentor to a newcoming amateur radio operator.
Elmer's Products, an American manufacturer of glue products

Places
 Elmer, West Sussex, United Kingdom
 Elmers End, London Borough of Bromley/Croydon

See also

Notes 

Category:Masculine given names
Category:English masculine given names