unisex name
Palmer
PAHM-er
- Origin English
- Gender Unisex
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 19,170
the United States
#232
2025 births
Palmer is a unisex name of English origin meaning a pilgrim, specifically one who had returned from the Holy Land carrying a palm frond as proof of the journey. It comes from the Middle English palmere and is one of the oldest surname-names in continuous use.
- Palmer is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 2025, when 1,560 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 2,125 babies in the United States is given this name.
- Palmer started out as a boys' name and is now given almost entirely to girls.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Palmer over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 96 |
| 1890s | 142 |
| 1900s | 234 |
| 1910s | 1,069 |
| 1920s | 1,349 |
| 1930s | 829 |
| 1940s | 661 |
| 1950s | 480 |
| 1960s | 353 |
| 1970s | 189 |
| 1980s | 271 |
| 1990s | 550 |
| 2000s | 928 |
| 2010s | 3,599 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 7,903 |
What Palmer means
Palmer means pilgrim. The word identified someone who had made the journey to Jerusalem and brought back a palm leaf as a token, and it was a distinct term from the general word for a traveler because the proof mattered.
Where Palmer comes from
Palmer comes from the Middle English palmere, from Old French palmier, ultimately from the Latin palma. A palmer was a pilgrim who had reached the Holy Land and carried a palm frond home as evidence, often wearing it in the hat; medieval writers distinguished palmers from other pilgrims, since a palmer traditionally kept wandering rather than returning to one place. The surname was in place across England by the thirteenth century. As a first name it appears in our records from 1880 onward, giving it one of the longer continuous runs of any surname-name, and it has grown steadily as a girl's name since the 2010s.
Palmer in use
Palmer appears in our records in every year from 1880, one of very few surname-names with an unbroken run that long.
How popular is Palmer?
In 2025, Palmer was given to 1,560 babies in the United States, ranking #232 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Palmer is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Palmer
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Palmer also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Palmer over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Palmer
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Sibling names for Palmer
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Palmer — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Palmer
What does the name Palmer mean?
Palmer means pilgrim — specifically one who had been to the Holy Land and carried a palm frond back as proof.
Is Palmer a boy's or a girl's name?
Both. It has traditionally been a boy's name and has grown quickly for girls since the 2010s.
How do you pronounce Palmer?
PAHM-er, with a silent L, as in the word palm.
How popular is the name Palmer?
In 2025, Palmer was given to 1,560 babies in the United States, ranking #232 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
How many syllables are in Palmer?
Palmer has 2 syllables.
When was Palmer most popular?
Palmer peaked in 2025, when 1,560 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Palmer?
Palmer is usually shortened to Pam.
Is Palmer a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Palmer currently ranks #232 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.