Delmar History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France
Ireland

When the ancestors of the Delmar family emigrated to England following the Norman Conquest in 1066 they brought their family name with them. They lived in Gloucestershire. Their name, however, is of Norman derivation, and refers to the proximity of their former place of residence to the sea. Delmar is a latter variation of the earlier local surname de la Mare, which literally translates as of the sea, or from the sea. Another source claims the name originated from the "ancient Forest of Delamere, foresta de la Mare," and literally meant "forest of the lake." 1

Early Origins of the Delmar family

The surname Delmar was first found in Gloucestershire where Guillaume (William) de La Mare was a tenant in Chief of lands in both this county and in Herefordshire. He also held lands in 1086 A.D. in Wiltshire and Hertfordshire as a sub tenant under the name William de La Mare. 2 He held many lordships. He came from Lamare at St. Opportune in the arrondisement of Pont Audemer in Normandy where his castle was built on piles on the border of the lake. 3

He was sometimes called William FitzNorman and was the scion of that family name. Marsh Baldon in Oxfordshire was an ancient family seat. "This parish, originally called Meres or Mars and ultimately Marsh Baldon, derives its distinguishing name from one De la Mare, a descendant of whom was patron of the living in 1381. " 4

William de La Mare (fl. 1272-1279) was an English Franciscan theologian who is known to have preached in Lincoln.

Sir John Delamare (c. 1320-1383), was an English knight at the court of King Edward III. He was granted permission to turn his manor house at Nunney into Nunney Castle in 1373. He served as High Sheriff of Wiltshire in 1374 and later High Sheriff of Somerset and Dorset in 1377. His niece Eleanor Delamere, who inherited his estates died in 1413 and those estates were passed on to William Paulet, 1st Marquess of Winchester. 5

Sir Peter De la Mere (fl. 1370), was "Speaker of the House of Commons, was Mesne Lord of the Manor of Yatton in Herefordshire, and was Seneschal of the Earl of March, who held the manor in capite. He was elected knight of the shire for his county in the parliament which met in April 1376, and which, from the popularity acquired by its attempts to reform abuses, went by the name of the Good parliament, and was chosen Speaker of the Commons." 5

As one would imagine, early rolls show a wide variety of spellings: Coleman de Lamora in Northumberland 1135-1185; Robert de la Mare, at Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk in 1190; William de la Mere in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1260; Henry Dalamare, a Freeman of York in 1385; Thomas Dallamour another Freeman of York in 1732; and John Dallamore, a Freeman of York in 1733. 6

Early History of the Delmar family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Delmar research. Another 149 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1285, 1294, 1320, 1372, 1373, 1376, 1383, 1387, 1408, 1685 and 1857 are included under the topic Early Delmar History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Delmar Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Delmar have been found, including Delamere, Delamare, DeleMere, DelaMare, Delemare, Delamare, Delamere, Delemare, DeLaMar, DeLaMarre, DeLaMaior, FitzNorman, Fitznorman, Delamore, Dalamaire, Delamar, Delamare, Delmore, Lamere, MacHerbert and many more.

Early Notables of the Delmar family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was William De La Mare (died c.1285), English Franciscan theologian; Sir Peter de la Mare (died c. 1387), High Sheriff of Herefordshire in 1372, best remembered as the Presiding Officer of the House of Commons during the Good Parliament of 1376; and Sir John Delamare (c...
Another 52 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Delmar Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Delmar family to Ireland

Some of the Delmar family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Delmar family

For many English families, the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. For such families, the shores of Ireland, Australia, and the New World beckoned. They left their homeland at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. Many arrived after the long voyage sick, starving, and without a penny. But even those were greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. Numerous English settlers who arrived in the United States and Canada at this time went on to make important contributions to the developing cultures of those countries. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Delmar were among those contributors: Joseph Delamore who settled in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1821; G. Delamare settled in New Orleans La. in 1822; John Delamaire settled in Maryland in 1674.

Contemporary Notables of the name Delmar (post 1700) +

Dolores Delmar (1912-1941), American dancer and showgirl from Detroit, Michigan who died suspiciously
Kenneth Howard "Kenny" Delmar (1910-1984), born Kenneth Frederick Fay Howard, an American actor active in radio, films, and animation; his fictional character Senator Beauregard Claghorn was the inspiration for the Warner Bros. cartoon character Foghorn Leghorn
Eugene Delmar (1841-1909), American chess master, four-time New York State champion in 1890, 1891, 1895 and 1897
Viña Delmar (1903-1990), born Alvina Louise Croter, an American Academy Award nominated short story writer, novelist, playwright, and screenwriter, best known for her risqué novel, Bad Girl, which became a bestseller in 1928
John Delmar, American Democratic Party politician, Presidential Elector for New York, 1884; Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New York, 1892, 1896 7
Elaine Delmar (b. 1939), born Elaine Hutchinson, English British singer from Harpenden, Hertfordshire, daughter of jazz trumpeter Leslie "Jiver" Hutchinson
Delmar Hunt Raybould (1933-2023), American politician, Member of the Idaho House of Representatives from 2002 to 2018
Delmar Wesley "Del" Crandall (1930-2021), American Major League Baseball player and manager from Ontario, California
Delmar Hager, American Republican politician, Candidate for Texas State House of Representatives 49th District, 1994 8
Delmar Richard Carlson (b. 1918), American politician, U.S. Ambassador to Guyana, 1966-69 8

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 22) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 30) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html