Given name & surname
Delmer
“a man of the sea”
Delmer is a variant of Delmar. One French interpretation is “a man of the sea.” Its derivation is not certain.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Delmer is a variant of Delmar. One French interpretation is “a man of the sea.” Its derivation is not certain.
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Delmer is a variant of Delmar. A possible origin is French, although the derivation remains uncertain.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1883. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Delmer through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 7,670
- 7,654 boys · 16 girls
- Most popular year
- 1924
- 205 babies
- 2025
- 5
- #12,484 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +100%
- Rising fast
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 5 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 12,484 among boys’ names. The recent annual counts are too incomplete to establish a ten-year comparison. Its largest published annual count for boys was 205 in 1924. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 2,613 as a first name in 2020; 108 as a surname in 2010.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Delmer
- Delmer DavesAmerican film director, producer, and screenwriter (1904–1977)
- Del HarrisAmerican basketball coachborn 1937
- Delmer BeshoreAmerican basketball player-coachborn 1956
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Delmer, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Wilton
“from the town on the river”
>99% boys
Early
“daughter born prematurely” · “one who is punctual”
>99% boys
Sylvester
“man from the forest”
>99% boys
Frazier
“of the forest men”
>99% boys
Ervin
“friend of the sea”
>99% boys
Lyman
“man of the meadow”
>99% boys
Hurley
“a healthy woman” · “of the sea tide”
96% boys · 4% girls
Verlin
“from the alder-tree grove”
93% boys · 7% girls