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Palmer

Girl name · 4 babies recorded · 1974–2025

Palmer: 4 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to girls, peaking at 4 births in 2023.

Derived from Old French, Palmer originally described a pilgrim who had journeyed to the Holy Land and returned bearing a palm branch as proof of their travels. This occupational surname gradually transitioned into a given name, particularly in English-speaking countries. Among notable bearers, Palmer Luckey, the American entrepreneur who founded Oculus VR, brought the name into modern tech culture, while Palmer Cox was a 19th-century Canadian illustrator famous for his “Brownies” cartoons. The name also appears in toponymy: Palmer, Alaska, was named after a local merchant, and the Greek root for “palm” connects it to places such as Palm Springs. An interesting correlation is that Palmer has seen occasional use in Scotland, often as a traditional surname adopted as a first name, reflecting a broader fashion for using family names as given names.