Reamer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Reamer surname is of Norman origin, thought to be derived from the place name Rames in Seine-Inférieure, Normandy.

Early Origins of the Reamer family

The surname Reamer was first found in Essex where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Metinges. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, having prevailed over King Harold, granted most of Britain to his many victorious Barons. It was not uncommon to find a Baron, or a Bishop, with 60 or more Lordships scattered throughout the country. These he gave to his sons, nephews and other junior lines of his family and they became known as under-tenants. They adopted the Norman system of surnames which identified the under-tenant with his holdings so as to distinguish him from the senior stem of the family. After many rebellious wars between his Barons, Duke William, commissioned a census of all England to determine in 1086, settling once and for all, who held which land. He called the census the Domesday Book, 1 indicating that those holders registered would hold the land until the end of time. Hence, conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands of Metinge and the lands of Ramesdune in Suffolk, where Roger de Rames was an under-tenant who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086. The Rames castle in Normandy was near the forest, west of Bolbec. Roger was given considerable lands in England and directly related to the Mandevilles and the d'Estouteville.

Early History of the Reamer family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Reamer research. Another 91 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1260 and 1273 are included under the topic Early Reamer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Reamer Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, Norman French and other languages became incorporated into English throughout the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Reamer include Raimes, Rames, Reams, Ramis, Raimis, Reymes, Rheims, Rhymes and many more.

Early Notables of the Reamer family

More information is included under the topic Early Reamer Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Reamer Ranking

In the United States, the name Reamer is the 11,647^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2

Reamer migration to the United States +

In England at this time, the uncertainty of the political and religious environment of the time caused many families to board ships for distant British colonies in the hopes of finding land and opportunity, and escaping persecution. The voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, though, and many arrived in North America sick, starved, and destitute. Those who did make it, however, were greeted with greater opportunities and freedoms that they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Early immigration records have shown some of the first Reamers to arrive on North American shores:

Reamer Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Reamer, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1802 3
Henry Reamer, who arrived in Somerset County, Pennsylvania in 1834 3
Bernard T Reamer, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1840 3
Johann Reamer, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1851 3
A H Reamer, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1855 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Reamer migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Reamer Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Paul Reamer, Scottish settler travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Flying Mist" arriving in Bluff, South Island, New Zealand on 25th August 1862, the boat sank whilst waiting in port. 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Reamer (post 1700) +

Meyer Reamer, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Maryland, 1944 5
John Reamer, American Democratic Party politician, Mayor of Ithaca, New York; Elected 1911; Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New York, 1928 (alternate), 1932; Presidential Elector for New York, 1932 5
Helen P. Reamer, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from California, 1960 5
Dawn Anne Reamer, American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Michigan 15th District, 2004 5
David D. Reamer, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Lewis County, 1848 5

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 17) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html