Hilmar is of Germanic origin, derived from the elements "hild" meaning "battle" and "mari" meaning "famous". It was popularized by the 19th-century German composer Richard Wagner, who used it as a character's name in his opera "Die Walküre". The name Hilmar has since been associated with music and creativity.
The name Hilmar experienced a notable surge in popularity between 1912 and 1921, with peaks in the years 1917 (16 births) and 1921 (14 births). However, after 1923, its usage significantly declined and remained relatively low throughout the rest of the period. Overall, there were a total of 170 births recorded for this name across these years.