Wesley

Wesley comes from the combination of the directional word west, and the word lea, which means "meadow," "field," or "clearing." So Wesley can mean the clearing to the west, or the western field, etc. Wesley is a surname which signified someone who lived in such a place, or who was from one of the places in England which were given the name Westley. Many surnames have been transferred to use as given names, and the use often began as a means of naming a child for his mother's family, with her maiden name used as her son's given name. Wesley is one of these, but also received a boost in use from the founder of the Methodist Church, John Wesley, with many Methodists choosing name their sons Wesley in his honor. Interestingly, Wesley has been a top 200 name in the U.S. for well over 100 years, with very little real variation--it has never been used enough to become over-used and too common, yet has never been rare. This may be partly due to the Methodist factor, but is probably also due to the fact that Wesley is a reasonably masculine and distinguished sounding name, common enough to not be "outlandish," yet it doesn't really invite nicknames or familiar forms that would bring it into more common use. Consequently, it's often used as a middle name. Famous Wesleys include Wesley Snipes, and the character Wesley from television's Star Trek: The Next Generation. (Before someone yells at me for forgetting him, the character played by Cary Elwes in the movie The Princess Bride was named Westley, which is a simple spelling variation that makes sense for the setting of the book and movie.)

Elmer

Elmer comes from an Old English name which was comprised of the elements ædhel ("noble") and maer ("famous.") Although Elmer was not used much as a given name after the Norman Conquest, but it did survive as a surname. When Elmer is used as a given name today it represents an instance of a surname being used as given name. The practice of using surnames as given names, particularly for boys, and especially the use of the mother's maiden name as a son's given name, was particularly popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and Elmer's popularity coicides with this practice. Elmer seems to be a rare name today, but in the first two decades of the 20th century, Elmer was a top 50 name for boys in the U.S. From the 1920's onward, Elmer's popularity steadily declined until the 1980's, when it more or less stabilized without ever dropping out of the top 1000. Elmer is still given to newborn baby boys enough today that it remains in the top 1000, but it shows no signs of regaining popularity. Elmer's early popularity could have led to its decline in use, due to overuse, and the eventual perception of the name as old-fashioned, but Elmer has more working against it than that. The popularity of Warner Brothers cartoon character Elmer Fudd keeps the name in the public conciousness, while also discouraging its use for babies. Elmer Fudd is so famous and so beloved that Google even has a feature that sort of allows you to search the internet like Elmer Fudd would. Famous and beloved, yes, but still not a character most people would choose to name their sons for. In addition to reminding everyone who hears his name of Elmer Fudd, a child named Elmer might also have to contend with another famous close association with his name, Elmer's Glue. Although Elmer is unlikely to regain much popularity as a name for a child as long as Elmer Fudd is well-known (which we can hope is always,) its still a great name for a pet, particularly for a dog, (or maybe a snake or hamster.)