Kelmer
An eccentric spelling variation of the Welsh name Kelvin, meaning narrow stream.
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Kelmer. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Kelmer today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kelmer births was 1922 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kelmer. 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 Kelmer. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1922
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1922 SSA rank
#4,654
Tracked since 1922
Popularity
Kelmer: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Kelmer 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 Kelmer during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Kelmer
The name Kelmer has its roots in the ancient Germanic languages, with various similar spellings found in Old Norse and Old English texts dating back to the 5th century AD. It is believed to have originated from a combination of the words "kel" meaning "source" or "spring" and "mer" meaning "famous" or "renowned".
During the Early Middle Ages, the name Kelmer was relatively common among the Anglo-Saxon settlements in what is now England. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this name was Kelmer of Mercia, a nobleman and landowner who lived in the 7th century AD.
In the 9th century, a monk named Kelmer is mentioned in the Ecclesiastical History of the English People, a renowned work by the Venerable Bede. This Kelmer was known for his piety and his dedication to the monastic life.
As the name spread across Europe during the High Middle Ages, it gained variants such as Kelmere, Kelmere, and Kelmarus. In the 12th century, a Kelmer of Cologne is recorded as a prominent scholar and theologian, known for his writings on religious philosophy.
Another notable figure was Kelmer von Rothenburg, a German knight who fought in the Third Crusade alongside Richard the Lionheart in the late 12th century. His bravery and valor in battle were widely celebrated.
Fast forward to the 16th century, and we find Kelmer Guldeneck, a Dutch merchant and explorer who was among the first Europeans to establish trade routes with the East Indies. His voyages and business ventures contributed to the Dutch Golden Age.
Throughout its history, the name Kelmer has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, religious figures, warriors, and explorers. While its popularity may have waned in more recent times, its rich heritage and diverse cultural associations make it a unique and intriguing name.
People
Kelmer + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kelmer as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Kelmer: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kelmer?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kelmer 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 - US residents.
Is Kelmer a common name?
We classify Kelmer as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kelmer most popular?
The single biggest year for Kelmer was 1922, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kelmer is about 0 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 Kelmer in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kelmer a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kelmer 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 Kelmer still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kelmer 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 Kelmer 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 many people are called Kelmer?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.