Helmer is a Scandinavian masculine given name of Norse origin, derived from the Old Norse word 'helmr', which means "hood" or "helmet". This name has been popular in Norway and Sweden for centuries, and is often associated with Norwegian culture and history. It is not particularly common outside Scandinavia but can be found among people of Scandinavian descent elsewhere in the world. The name Helmer has no specific pronunciation guidelines; it is typically pronounced /ˈhɛlmər/ in English.
The name Helmer experienced significant fluctuations in popularity over the years. While it had a strong start with 6 births in 1884, the number of births fluctuated between 5 and 29 per year until 1922 when it peaked at 28 births. After that, the popularity of the name declined steadily, reaching as low as 5 births per year in several years from 1930 onwards. There was a brief resurgence in the late 1990s and early 2000s, with peaks of 12 births in 1996 and 10 births in 2005, but overall, the name Helmer has become much less common in recent years.