Show ContentsPalmeri History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Venice, one of the oldest and most beautiful regions of Italy, is the esteemed birthplace of numerous prominent families, and of a family that bears the surname Palmeri. Although people were originally known only by a single name, it became necessary for them to adopt a second name to identify themselves, as populations grew and travel became more frequent. The process of adopting fixed hereditary surnames was not complete until the modern era, but the use of hereditary family names in Italy began in the 10th and 11th centuries. Palmeri was a surname derived from an occupation. Occupational surnames, which are less common than other types of surnames in Italy, date back to the feudal era. The surname Palmeri is an occupational name for a person who carries palm branches in processions. The surname Palmeri is a common occupational name for a pilgrim or cleric who frequently a carried a palm branch. The surname Palmeri is derived from the Old French word "palmier," which meant "cleric" in Medieval times.

Early Origins of the Palmeri family

The surname Palmeri was first found in Piedmont, Umbria, Pisa, Bologna, Florence, Naples, and Siena. one of the first on record was Benedetto Palmieri, a Norman Baron who helped conquest Sicily with his 80 knights. After the victorious battle, he received the castle of Naro and the territories of Canicatti and Ravanusa.

Early History of the Palmeri family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Palmeri research. The years 1183, 1371, 1393 and 1475 are included under the topic Early Palmeri History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Palmeri Spelling Variations

There are many variations of most of those Italian names that originated in the medieval era. Some of these come from regional differences, like the tradition of ending northern names in "o" and southern names in "i". Others come from inaccuracies in the recording process, which were extremely common in the eras before dictionaries standardized spelling. Some of the spelling variations of Palmeri are Palmieri, Palmiero, Palmeri, Palmerio, Palmerini, Palmarini, Palmarino, Palmarìn and many more.

Early Notables of the Palmeri family

Prominent among members of the family was

  • of the same family were Benedetto Palmieri, Archbishop of Salerno, and Leonardo Palmieri, Bishop of Molfetta in 1475. Fulco Palmeri was Baron of Naro and became a priest in 1371, and Rodorico Palmieri...

Palmeri Ranking

In the United States, the name Palmeri is the 12,987th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1


United States Palmeri migration to the United States +

An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Palmeri or a variant listed above:

Palmeri Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Alfonsa Palmeri, aged 50, who settled in America from Valledolmo, in 1901
  • Alfonso Palmeri, aged 14, who landed in America from Palermo, in 1902
  • Andrea Palmeri, aged 27, who settled in America from Partanna, Italy, in 1906
  • Andrea Palmeri, aged 52, who immigrated to the United States from S.Gppe Yato, Italy, in 1906
  • Alfredo Palmeri, aged 17, who immigrated to the United States from Mellfi, in 1907
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Palmeri (post 1700) +

  • Tara Palmeri (b. 1987), American journalist, co-author of the Politico Playbook newsletter and host and chief investigative reporter of two Sony Music podcasts: "Broken: Seeking Justice" and "Power: The Maxwells"
  • Frankie Palmeri, American musician, founding member of Emmure, an American metalcore band
  • Martín Palmeri (b. 1965), Argentine composer and conductor from Buenos Aires


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/


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