Kilmer is best known as a surname — as in actor Val Kilmer — but actors Bethany C. Meyers and Nico Tortorella recently used it for their daughter Kilmer Dove, making it a viable first name.

The German surname Kilmer is derived from Gilmer, which itself originated from various German given names. These personal names include Gildemir and Gilmar, meaning "famous sacrifice", along with Gisel and Gisela, which derive from the German element gīsil, meaning "pledge", "hostage", or "noble offspring".