Palmer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Palmer

What does the name Palmer mean?

Palmer is one of the names that was brought to England in the wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. It is a name for a person who worked as a palmer. The surname Palmer was originally derived from the Old French word palmer, which was taken from the Latin word palmifer meaning palm bearer. In this case the original bearer of the surname was a pilgrim who carried palm branches back from the Holy Land. In early history the name Palmer represented a missionary. 1

Early Origins of the Palmer family

The surname Palmer was first found in “the east of England, especially in Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, and Kent.” 2 The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 include the following: Alice le Palmere in Cambridgeshire; Ralph le Palmere in Yorkshire; and Robert le Palmere in Lincolnshire. Richard le Palmere was listed in Somerset during the reign of Edward III and the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list Ricardus Palmer as a mason. 3

Ladbroke Hall in Ladbroke, near Stratford upon Avon, Warwickshire was the home of the Palmer family since 1633 when it was purchased by William Palmer. “The church [of Ladbroke] is a handsome structure in the later English style, with a square embattled tower surmounted by a lofty and elegant spire, and contains several monuments, chiefly to the Palmer family.” 4

Due to the nature of the surname, it was not surprising to find entries in early Scotland too. Hugh Palmer witnessed resignation of the lands of Ingilbristoun in 1204, and in 1253 Ricardus Palmerus de Kingore attested a memorandum of the ornaments of the chapel of Dundemor. Alexander Palmer witnessed a sale of land in Glasgow, c. 1280-1290, Elye Palmere held a land in Waldeuegate, Berwick, in 1307 and Hugh Palmere was “messager” of the Earl of Douglas in 1397. 5

Palmer Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Palmer are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Palmer include Palmer, Pallmer, Parmer, Balmer, Ballmer, Polmear and others.

Early Notables of the Palmer family

• Sir James Palmer of Dorney Court, Buckinghamshire
• Roger Palmer, 1st Earl of Castlemaine, PC (1634-1705), an English courtier, diplomat, and politician, his wife Barbara Villiers was one of Charles II’s mistresses
• Thomas Palmer, MP FRS (died 1735), a British politician, Member of Parliament for Bridgewater (1731-1735)
• Sir Roundell Palmer, Lord High Chancellor of England, who was made Lord Selborne in 1872

Palmer World Ranking

In the United Kingdom, the name Palmer is the 88^th most popular surname with an estimated 52,748 people with that name. 6 However, in Australia, the name Palmer is ranked the 121^st most popular surname with an estimated 22,087 people with that name. 7 And in New Zealand, the name Palmer is the 134^th popular surname with an estimated 3,506 people with that name. 8 Canada ranks Palmer as 293^rd with 14,920 people. 9 The United States ranks Palmer as 151^st with 154,194 people. 10 France ranks Palmer as 6,818^th with 1,000 – 1,500 people. 11