Jalmer
A masculine Scandinavian name derived from the Old Norse words meaning "stalwart" and "mariner."
Name Census estimates that about 1 living Americans carry the first name Jalmer. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Jalmer today is around 60 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jalmer births was 1921 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jalmer. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Jalmer. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
1
~ 1 in 342,754,338 Americans
Peak year
1921
8 babies that year
Average age
60
years old
1921 SSA rank
#3,349
Tracked since 1917
Popularity
Jalmer: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jalmer from the 1910s through to the 1920s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 20 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1910s peak, Jalmer remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jalmer 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 Jalmer during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Jalmer
The name Jalmer is believed to have its origins in ancient Persia, now modern-day Iran. It is derived from the Persian words "jal," meaning water, and "mer," meaning king or ruler. The name Jalmer, therefore, carries the meaning "king of water" or "ruler of the seas."
In the early centuries of the Persian Empire, the name Jalmer was often bestowed upon individuals who held positions of power and authority, particularly those associated with naval or maritime affairs. It was a name that symbolized strength, leadership, and mastery over the waters.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Jalmer can be found in the Shahnameh, the epic poem written by the renowned Persian poet Ferdowsi in the late 10th and early 11th centuries. Although the Shahnameh primarily recounts the history of ancient Persian kings and heroes, it also mentions a character named Jalmer, who is described as a skilled navigator and commander of a fleet of ships.
Throughout the history of the Persian Empire, several notable individuals bore the name Jalmer. One such figure was Jalmer ibn Rashid, a prominent admiral who lived in the 9th century during the Abbasid Caliphate. He played a crucial role in naval battles against the Byzantine Empire and was renowned for his strategic prowess on the high seas.
Another historical figure named Jalmer was a Persian explorer who embarked on a voyage across the Indian Ocean in the 12th century. His journey is recorded in a travelogue that provides valuable insights into the maritime trade routes and cultural exchanges of that era.
In the realm of literature, the name Jalmer also found its way into the works of renowned Persian poets and writers. The 13th-century poet Rumi, renowned for his mystical and spiritual verses, mentioned a character named Jalmer in one of his poetic works, symbolizing the pursuit of knowledge and the exploration of the depths of the human soul.
Fast-forwarding to more recent times, the name Jalmer has been carried on by several notable individuals. One such person was Jalmer Voss, a German-born explorer and naturalist who lived from 1888 to 1963. He spent years studying the flora and fauna of the Amazon rainforest and is renowned for his contributions to the field of biology and conservation.
Another individual named Jalmer was the American artist Jalmer Mastrud (1901-1986), known for his vibrant and expressive paintings that captured the landscapes and people of the American West.
While the name Jalmer may not be as commonly encountered today as it was in ancient times, its rich history and symbolic meaning continue to resonate, reminding us of the enduring legacy of Persian culture and the timeless human fascination with the vast and powerful waters that shape our world.
People
Jalmer + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jalmer as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with J
Other first names starting with J with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Jalmer: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jalmer?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jalmer 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 342,754,338 US residents.
Is Jalmer a common name?
We classify Jalmer as "Very Rare". It ranks above 3.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 28 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jalmer most popular?
The single biggest year for Jalmer was 1921, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jalmer is about 60 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Jalmer in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Jalmer a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jalmer 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.
Is Jalmer still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Jalmer in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Jalmer can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How common is the name Jalmer?
See how many people have the name Jalmer on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.