Palmer
Meaning
occupational surname, "pilgrim, palm-bearer"
Famously borne by Palmer Luckey, co-founder of Oculus VR and Anduril Industries.
The story
Palmer is the pilgrim, the medieval walker who carried a palm frond home from the Holy Land as proof of the journey, and its American record is doing something rare right now: changing hands in real time. A century ago it was a modest boys' name, about 1,300 a decade in the 1920s. The all-time ledger is nearly even, about 9,400 girls to 9,200 boys, but this decade runs about 6,600 girls to 1,300 boys, five to one, the flip Sutton and Presley completed already happening mid-stride. The count stands at 7,900 so far this decade, more than double the full 2010s with years to run. Golf hears its greatest gentleman in the surname; the etymology hears sore feet and faith. Either way the name walks: a pilgrim underneath, a fresh column on top, and the record catching the exact moment the direction changed.
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Palmer peaked in the 2020s.
See popularity in Brazil
Popularity in Brazil
59 people · the #59,447 first name in Brazil · median age 35
Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022
When you meet Palmer
Most people given the name Palmer in the United States are children or teenagers today. The name belongs to this generation.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Palmer deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Palmer truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Palmer fits with your family’s names and surname.
Keep exploring
Names like Palmer · Names of founders and builders · Gender-neutral names
Does Palmer fit YOUR family?
nametree reads your family’s names and finds the ones that belong. Free, private, no ads.
Add Palmer to your family’s tree →