Is Palmer a boy, girl, or unisex name?

Palmer is commonly used as a Unisex name.

How popular is Palmer?

It’s currently ranked #242 in the U.S. Recent trend: Rising.

How do you pronounce Palmer?

PAL-mer · IPA: //ˈpɑːlmər//

Palmer Unisex

Popularity: #723 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Origin(s)

PronunciationPAL-mer / /ˈpɑːlmər/

English; Old French

Meaning

English: 'one who is a palmer'; Old French: 'pilgrim'

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Palmer has roots in medieval England, where it was used to denote a pilgrim who had returned from the Holy Land, often bearing palm branches as a symbol of their journey. It was also used as a surname before becoming popular as a given name. The name has been used in various literary works, reflecting themes of pilgrimage and adventure.

Trend Summary

Palmer has seen a steady increase in popularity in the United States over the past few decades.

Similar Names

Palin Paden Payton Pallor Palladino

Variants

Palmer

International Variants

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Famous people named Palmer

Palmer Luckey is an American entrepreneur known for founding Oculus VR, a company that played a significant role in the development of virtual reality technology.

Palmer J. H. is a notable American botanist recognized for his contributions to plant taxonomy.

Palmer Reed is a fictional character in the popular television series 'The Office', known for his quirky personality.

Fictional characters named Palmer

Palmer is a character in the video game 'Dead Space', serving as a member of the USG Ishimura crew.

Palmer Eldritch is a character in Philip K. Dick's novel 'The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch', representing themes of reality and perception.

Sibling Suggestions

Parker Paxton Peyton Preston Piper Penny

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Palmer was first seen in the United States in 1880. Palmer has ranked as high as #1138 nationally, which occurred in 2023, and has been most popular in Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina. In the past 5 years the name Palmer has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

Top States for Palmer (2024)

Year:

State	Births	Share
TX	17	11%
CA	16	11%
NC	14	9%
OH	12	8%
FL	11	7%
GA	9	6%
PA	8	5%
SC	8	5%
AL	8	5%
KY	7	5%
VA	7	5%
MS	6	4%
WI	6	4%
IL	5	3%
IN	5	3%

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

Year	Births
1880	10
1881	8
1882	15
1884	6
1885	8
1886	12
1887	13
1888	16
1889	8
1890	10
1891	15
1892	10
1893	15
1894	18
1895	13
1896	12
1897	23
1898	16
1899	10
1900	21
1901	20
1902	11
1903	22
1904	19
1905	19
1906	27
1907	22
1908	37
1909	29
1910	25
1911	42
1912	72
1913	85
1914	81
1915	135
1916	136
1917	135
1918	173
1919	140
1920	144
1921	160
1922	160
1923	136
1924	126
1925	131
1926	119
1927	99
1928	105
1929	115
1930	101
1931	92
1932	89
1933	92
1934	69
1935	91
1936	83
1937	73
1938	59
1939	60
1940	68
1941	76
1942	74
1943	79
1944	66
1945	47
1946	50
1947	57
1948	54
1949	59
1950	39
1951	42
1952	48
1953	44
1954	33
1955	56
1956	49
1957	46
1958	38
1959	40
1960	33
1961	46
1962	41
1963	26
1964	38
1965	25
1966	28
1967	30
1968	24
1969	25
1970	30
1971	27
1972	23
1973	15
1974	14
1975	18
1976	19
1977	19
1978	11
1979	13
1980	27
1981	24
1982	20
1983	15
1984	24
1985	25
1986	36
1987	19
1988	27
1989	36
1990	48
1991	36
1992	31
1993	39
1994	51
1995	36
1996	44
1997	56
1998	82
1999	66
2000	65
2001	58
2002	54
2003	72
2004	86
2005	80
2006	98
2007	109
2008	84
2009	94
2010	83
2011	94
2012	114
2013	114
2014	112
2015	137
2016	133
2017	179
2018	172
2019	165
2020	163
2021	222
2022	200
2023	240
2024	202