Palmer
Girl name · #232 in 2025 · Uniqueness 34/100
Palmer is currently the #232 girl name in the United States — 1,330 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #1337, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 1,353 girls born in 2025 was named Palmer.
Babies named Palmer per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 117-year story
Palmer first appears in the Social Security records in 1908, when 7 girls received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 1,330 babies and a rank of #232. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Palmer against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Palmer in class?
Palmer scores 34 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Palmer is most common
Geography matters for names, and Palmer is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Palmers were TX (140), FL (83), GA (78), OH (74), NC (69). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Palmer
Statistically, parents drawn to Palmer tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Parker, Saylor, River, Ember, and Clover.
ParkerSaylorRiverEmberCloverJuniperMillerPoppy
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Palmer | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,330 | #232 |
| 2024 | 1,224 | #258 |
| 2023 | 1,133 | #277 |
| 2022 | 1,075 | #295 |
| 2021 | 996 | #330 |
| 2020 | 888 | #348 |
| 2019 | 675 | #461 |
| 2018 | 433 | #675 |
| 2017 | 247 | #1042 |
| 2016 | 241 | #1078 |
| 2015 | 177 | #1337 |
| 2014 | 173 | #1352 |
| 2013 | 132 | #1624 |
| 2012 | 138 | #1575 |
| 2011 | 67 | #2638 |
| 2010 | 13 | #8701 |
| 2009 | 17 | #7341 |
| 2008 | 20 | #6559 |
| 2007 | 24 | #5709 |
| 2006 | 14 | #8237 |
| 2005 | 10 | #10128 |
| 2004 | 11 | #9264 |
| 2003 | 10 | #9671 |
| 2002 | 7 | #12187 |
| 2001 | 8 | #11020 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Palmer a popular girl name?
Palmer ranked #232 among girls in 2025 with 1,330 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #1337.
When was the name Palmer most popular?
Palmer peaked in 2025, when 1,330 American girls received the name (ranked #232 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Palmer?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 1,353 newborn American girls was named Palmer. It scores 34/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.