Elmer

Elmer is a name of Germanic British origin. The given name originated as a surname, a medieval variant of the given name Aylmer, derived from Old English æþel (noble) and mær (famous). It was adopted as a given name in the United States, "in honor of the popularity of the brothers Ebenezer and Jonathan Elmer, leading supporters of the American Revolution."^[1] The name fell out of popular use in the last decades of the 20th century, and it is uncommon to find Elmers born after World War II.^{[citation needed]} The name is common in the United States and Canada.

Notable people with the name include:

Mononym[]

Eilmer of Malmesbury (or Elmer), 11th-century English Benedictine monk
In the amateur radio subculture, an Elmer is a mentor to a newcoming amateur radio operator^[2]

Given name[]

Elmer L. Andersen (1909–2004), American businessman, philanthropist, and the 30th governor of Minnesota
Elmer Bernstein (1922–2004), American composer
Elmer Bischoff (1916–1991), American painter
W. Elmer Brandon (1906–1956), Canadian politician, known by his middle name
Elmer Davis (1890–1958), news reporter, author, director of the United States Office of War Information during World War II
Elmer Dessens (born 1971), major league baseball relief pitcher
Elmer Diktonius (1896–1961), Finnish writer and composer
Elmer E. Ellsworth (1837–1861), lawyer and soldier, and the first conspicuous casualty of the American Civil War
Elmer Flick (1876–1971), American hall-of-fame baseball player
Elmer Gedeon (1917–1944), American baseball player
Elmer Grey (1872–1963), American architect and artist
Elmer Beseler Harris (1939–2019), American businessman and politician
Elmer Cameron Hawley (1905–1969), American novelist
Elmer Keith (1899–1984), American firearms cartridge designer and author
Elmer Kelton (1926–2009), American journalist and writer, particularly of Western novels
Elmer Lach (1918–2015), Canadian ice hockey player
Elmer Layden (1903–1973), commissioner of the National Football League and head football coach at the University of Notre Dame
Elmer MacKay (born 1936), Canadian politician
Elmer McCurdy (1880–1911), American outlaw whose corpse was put on exhibit
Elmer Drew Merrill (1876–1956), American botanist
Elmer Rees (1941–2019), Welsh mathematician
Elmer Rice (1892–1967), American playwright
Elmer Riddle (1914–1984), baseball player for the Cincinnati Reds
Elmer Snowden (1900–1973), American jazz musician
Elmer Ambrose Sperry (1860–1930), American inventor and entrepreneur
Elmer Steele (1886–1966), American baseball player
Elmer Valo (1921–1998), major league baseball player, coach, and scout
Uncle Elmer, American wrestler, born Stanley Fraizer

Surname[]

Adolph Daniel Edward Elmer (1870–1942), American botanist
Birger Elmér (1919–1999), head of the Swedish secret intelligence agency, known as IB (1965–1975)
Charles Elmer (1872–1954), American amateur astronomer, co-founder of the Perkin-Elmer optical company
Ebenezer Elmer (1752–1843), American politician and physician
Edwin Romanzo Elmer (1850–1923), American painter
Emma Osterman Elmer (1867–1956), American librarian and author
Greg Elmer (born 1967), British-born Professor of Professional Communication at Ryerson University
James Elmer (born 1971), Australian Olympic field hockey striker
James C. Elmer (1882–1920), American college football player
John Elmer (footballer) (1905–1993), Australian rules footballer
Jonas Elmer (director) (born 1966), Danish film director, screenwriter and actor
Jonas Elmer (born 1988), Swiss footballer
Jonathan Elmer (1745–1817), American politician
Kenneth Elmer (born 1948), Canadian Olympic middle-distance runner
Lachlan Elmer (born 1969), Australian Olympic field hockey player
Lucius Elmer (1793–1883), American Democratic politician, U.S. Representative from New Jersey (1843–1845)
Philip Elmer-DeWitt (born 1949), American computer journalist
Rico Elmer (born 1969), Swiss ski mountaineer and mountain runner
Rudolf Elmer, whistleblower who released documents about Swiss bank Julius Bär
Stephen Elmer (baptised 1715–1796), English painter
Terri-Rae Elmer (born 1956), Los Angeles radio broadcaster
Wally Elmer (1898–1978), Canadian ice hockey player
William Elmer (1869–1945), American silent film actor
William P. Elmer (1871–1956), U.S. Representative from Missouri (1943–1945)

Fictional characters[]

Elmer the Patchwork Elephant, the title character in a series of children's picture books by David McKee
Elmer, a comic book by Gerry Alanguilan
Elmer, a fictional bull, "husband" of Elsie the Cow
Elmer Fudd, a Looney Tunes character
Elmer Elephant, the titular character of a Disney Silly Symphonies short
Elmer Gantry, the title character in a novel by Sinclair Lewis
Elmer C. Albatross, in the Baccano! light novel series
Elmer, the ventriloquist dummy used by Western film actor Max Terhune
Elmer, on Pappyland

Notes[]

^ Patrick Hanks and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of First Names (Oxford UP, 1990), p. 101.
^ The term first appeared in the March, 1971 issue of QST magazine's "How's DX" column by Rod Newkirk, W9BRD (now also VA3ZBB). Newkirk called them "the unsung fathers of Amateur Radio." While he probably was not trying to coin a term at the time, here's how Newkirk introduced "Elmer" in his column and, as it turned out, to the rest of the amateur radio world: "Too frequently one hears a sad story in this little nutshell: 'Oh, I almost got a ticket, too, but Elmer, W9XYZ, moved away and I kind of lost interest.'" Newkirk went on to say, "We need those Elmers. All the Elmers, including the ham who took the most time and trouble to give you a push toward your license, are the birds who keep this great game young and fresh."

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[1] Patrick Hanks and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of First Names (Oxford UP, 1990), p. 101.

[2] The term first appeared in the March, 1971 issue of QST magazine's "How's DX" column by Rod Newkirk, W9BRD (now also VA3ZBB). Newkirk called them "the unsung fathers of Amateur Radio." While he probably was not trying to coin a term at the time, here's how Newkirk introduced "Elmer" in his column and, as it turned out, to the rest of the amateur radio world: "Too frequently one hears a sad story in this little nutshell: 'Oh, I almost got a ticket, too, but Elmer, W9XYZ, moved away and I kind of lost interest.'" Newkirk went on to say, "We need those Elmers. All the Elmers, including the ham who took the most time and trouble to give you a push toward your license, are the birds who keep this great game young and fresh."

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