Parmer
An American baby name, possibly related to the word "farm".
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Parmer. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Parmer today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Parmer births was 1918 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Parmer. 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 Parmer. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1918
7 babies that year
Average age
-
1918 SSA rank
#3,618
Tracked since 1918
Popularity
Parmer: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Parmer 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 Parmer during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 7 | 0 | 7 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Parmer
The name Parmer is an occupational surname that originated in England. It is derived from the Old French word "parmentier," which means a maker or seller of cloth or clothing. The name can be traced back to the 12th century in England, where it was first used as a surname for those involved in the textile industry.
In the Middle Ages, the textile industry was a significant part of the English economy, and the name Parmer would have been associated with skilled workers and tradesmen. The name likely evolved from the Old French word "parmentier" through various spellings, such as "Parmentier," "Parmenter," and eventually "Parmer."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Parmer can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1191, where a person named Richard Parmer is mentioned. Another early reference is in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1242, which mentions a Roger Parmer.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the first name Parmer. One of the earliest recorded was John Parmer (c. 1415-1480), an English clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Norfolk from 1468 until his death in 1480.
Another notable figure was Thomas Parmer (1542-1616), an English merchant and explorer who traveled to the West Indies and South America in the late 16th century. He is credited with being one of the first Englishmen to explore parts of the Amazon River.
In the 18th century, there was Josiah Parmer (1717-1789), an English Baptist minister and author who published several religious works, including "The Gospel of Christ Vindicated" in 1761.
Moving into the 19th century, one can find William Parmer (1815-1892), an American politician and judge who served as a member of the Texas Supreme Court from 1874 to 1876.
Finally, in the 20th century, there was John Parmer (1912-1995), an American author and journalist who wrote several books on American history and culture, including "The Colonial Mind" in 1954.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who had the first name Parmer, which has its roots in the textile industry of medieval England.
People
Parmer + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Parmer as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with P
Other first names starting with P with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Parmer: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Parmer?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Parmer 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 Parmer a common name?
We classify Parmer 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, 7 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Parmer most popular?
The single biggest year for Parmer was 1918, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Parmer 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 Parmer in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Parmer a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Parmer 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 Parmer still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Parmer 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 Parmer 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 have Parmer as a first name?
If you just want to know how many people have the name Parmer, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.