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Elmer History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Elmer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The Elmer surname is a habitational derived from the place name Elmore in Gloucestershire. The place name is in turn derived from the Old English "elm," meaning "elm," and "ofer," meaning "river bank," or "ridge." Another authority claims that the name was originally an Anglo-Saxon personal name. 1

"This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor, 'the son of Aylmar' or 'Ailmar.' " 2 "This family trace their name and descent from Ailmer or Athelmare, Earl of Cornwall, in the time of King Ethelred. Allmor, in Welsh, signifies a valley or dale." 3

Early Origins of the Elmer family

The surname Elmer was first found in Hampshire, where the first on record appears to have been Godwinus filius Elmari listed in 1115. 4

"A common surname in the Hundred Rolls. It was already going out of fashion in the 13th century as a font-name, and is rarely found as such in the 14th century, but it secured hereditary honours as a surname somewhat early, and as a consequence is well represented in our directories." 2

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed: Aymar Hitche, Huntingdonshire; Adam Aylmer, Cambridgeshire; William Aylmar, Oxfordshire; and Avice Ailmar, Cambridgeshire.

John Aylmere, was rector of Ingworth, Norfolk in 1353. 5 Kirby's Quest listed Thomas Atlmer, Somerset, 1 Edward III (during the first year of Edward III's reign.) 6

Much further to the north in Scotland, Emme de Ailmer and Roger de Almere, both of Selkirkshire, rendered homage to King Edward I. in 1296. "The seal of the latter bears a hunting horn, stringed, and S' Roger d' Ainmer. As Roger de Aylemer, he accounts in 1304 for the ward of Trequair. Adam Aylmer was a tenant under the earl of Douglas in the vill of Tybris, 1376. " 7

Early History of the Elmer family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Elmer research. Another 104 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1208, 1221, 1316, 1421, 1516, 1521, 1543, 1552, 1553, 1557, 1558, 1570, 1571, 1574, 1594, 1601, 1602, 1634, 1650, 1672, 1720 and 1733 are included under the topic Early Elmer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Elmer Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Elmer include Aylmer, Aylmore, Elmar, Elmer, Elmers, Elmore and others.

Early Notables of the Elmer family

Distinguished members of the family include

John Aylmer (AElmer or Elmer; 1521-1594), was an English bishop, constitutionalist and a Greek scholar. He was Bishop of London, whose name, contracted from the Saxon Æthelmaer, appears also as Ælmer...

Elmer Ranking

In the United States, the name Elmer is the 5,625^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 8

Migration of the Elmer family to Ireland

Some of the Elmer family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 122 words (9 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Elmer migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Elmer Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Edward Elmer, who landed in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1632 9

Elmer Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Charles Elmer and his wife Hannah, who landed in America in 1836
Charles Elmer, aged 22, who arrived in America in 1836 9
Jacob Elmer, who arrived in Mississippi in 1844 9
M E Elmer, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 9
Michael Elmer, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1876 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Elmer migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Elmer Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Elmer, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Emperor Alexander"on 6th April 1833, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 10
Thomas Elmer, English convict from Bedford, who was transported aboard the "Agincourt" on July 6, 1844, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 11

Contemporary Notables of the name Elmer (post 1700) +

Charles Elmer Jr. (b. 1930), birth name of Rip Taylor, American comedian and actor
Charles Wesley Elmer (1872-1954), American amateur astronomer and court reporter
William Elmer (1869-1945), American actor of the silent era
Ebenezer Elmer (1752-1843), American physician
Jonathan Elmer (1745-1817), American politician, of the Pro-Administration (Federalist ) Party
Lucius Quintius Cincinnatus Elmer (1793-1883), American Democratic Party politician
Eli Elmer, American politician, Delegate to New Jersey convention to ratify U.S. constitution from Cumberland County, 1787 12
Edward Elmer, American Libertarian politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Texas 28th District, 1998; Candidate for Texas State House of Representatives 35th District, 2006 12
Ebenezer Elmer (1752-1843), American Democratic Party politician, Member of New Jersey State Legislature; U.S. Representative from New Jersey, 1801-07 12
E. T. Elmer, American politician, Mayor of Milwaukie, Oregon, 1913-15 12
... (Another 16 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. Print
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emperor-alexander
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 24) Agincourt voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1844 with 226 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/agincourt/1844
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html