Chalmers
A masculine name of Scottish origin meaning "great chalmer" or "chamber attendant".
Name Census estimates that about 320 living Americans carry the first name Chalmers. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Chalmers today is around 68 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Chalmers births was 1919 (38 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Chalmers. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Chalmers is about 68 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Chalmers' were born before 1968.
People living today
320
~ 1 in 1,071,107 Americans
Peak year
1919
38 babies that year
Average age
68
years old
2006 SSA rank
#10,890
Tracked since 1880
Popularity
Chalmers: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Chalmers from the 1880s through to the 2000s, spanning 13 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 275 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Chalmers by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Chalmers during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Chalmers' live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. South Carolina, Pennsylvania, North Carolina recorded the most babies named Chalmers, while North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 49 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Chalmers
The name Chalmers has its origins in the Scottish Gaelic language, derived from the elements "cailleamair" meaning "clerk" or "secretary." It is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, specifically in the 12th or 13th century, when surnames and hereditary names became more common in Scotland.
Historically, the name Chalmers was associated with individuals who held positions as clerks, scribes, or secretaries, often in ecclesiastical or monastic settings. This connection can be traced back to the influential role played by the Church in Scotland during the medieval period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Chalmers can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical document containing the names of Scottish nobles and landowners who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. The name appears as "de Chalmers," indicating its use as a surname at that time.
Notably, the name Chalmers has been borne by several prominent figures throughout history. In the 16th century, David Chalmers (1530-1592) was a Scottish scholar and reformer who played a significant role in the Scottish Reformation.
Later, in the 18th century, Thomas Chalmers (1780-1847) was a renowned Scottish minister, theologian, and leader of the Free Church of Scotland. He made significant contributions to the fields of theology, social reform, and education.
Another notable bearer of the name was Andrew Chalmers (1755-1834), a Scottish lawyer and legal writer who served as a judge and Lord Chief Baron of the Scottish Exchequer.
In the realm of literature, George Chalmers (1742-1825) was a Scottish writer and antiquarian who authored numerous works on Scottish history and literature, including a biography of Sir David Lyndsay and an edition of the poetical works of Sir David Lyndsay.
The name Chalmers has also been associated with academic and scientific pursuits. For example, Thomas Chalmers (1780-1847), mentioned earlier, was not only a renowned minister but also a professor of moral philosophy and a pioneering figure in the field of political economy.
These historical figures and their contributions across various fields illustrate the rich heritage and significance associated with the name Chalmers throughout the centuries.
People
Chalmers + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Chalmers as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Chalmers: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Chalmers?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 320 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Chalmers going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,071,107 US residents.
Is Chalmers a common name?
We classify Chalmers as "Very Rare". It ranks above 79.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,082 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Chalmers most popular?
The single biggest year for Chalmers was 1919, when 38 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Chalmers is about 68 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Chalmers a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Chalmers in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.