Imar is of Scottish origin and means "great sea". It is often associated with the Irish name Emer, which has similar pronunciation but different meaning. In Scotland, it was traditionally a male name, though its usage has become more gender-neutral in recent times. Imar was popularized by the Scottish poet James Macpherson's Ossianic epic, "Fingal", where one of the characters bears this name.
The name Imar saw a resurgence with six births each in 1991 and 2021, while experiencing lower numbers of five births respectively in 2009, 2018, and 2023 over the years recorded. Overall, there were twenty-seven Imar babies born during these periods.