Show ContentsBarmore History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Non-Gaelic elements made their first appearance in Irish nomenclature after the Strongbow settlers began to arrive on Irish shores. Although the Irish already had an established a system of hereditary surnames, the Anglo-Normans also brought their own traditions with them when they arrived. The two systems were not extremely conflicting, and eventually drew upon one another. Although local surnames, such as Barmore, were not entirely unknown to the Irish, this form of surname was much more popular with the Strongbownians. Local names were taken from the names of a place or a geographical feature where the person lived, held land, or was born. Originally, these place names were prefixed by de, which means from in French. This type of prefix was eventually either made a part of the surname, if the place name began with a vowel, or was eliminated entirely. The local names of these Anglo-Norman invaders first referred to places in Normandy, or more typically England, but eventually for those Strongbownians or their descendents that remained in Ireland, the local names really did begin to refer to local places or geographical features of the island. The Barmore family appears to have originally lived at Barrymore in the English county of Lincolnshire. The surname Barmore belongs to the large category of Anglo-Norman habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Barmore family

The surname Barmore was first found in County Cork (Irish: Corcaigh) the ancient Kingdom of Deis Muin (Desmond), located on the southwest coast of Ireland in the province of Munster, where they were descended from the Barrys, Earls of Barrymore and Santry. They were of Anglo Norman origin and had settled briefly in Lincolnshire before joining Strongbow on his Irish invasion, in 1172 A.D.

Early History of the Barmore family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Barmore research. Another 66 words (5 lines of text) covering the year 1172 is included under the topic Early Barmore History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Barmore Spelling Variations

Church officials and medieval scribes often simply spelled names as they sounded. As a result, a single person's name may have been recorded a dozen different ways during his lifetime. Spelling variations for the name Barmore include: Barrymore, Berrymore, Barymore, Barrymoor and others.

Early Notables of the Barmore family

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

Barmore Ranking

In the United States, the name Barmore is the 16,256th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1


Australia Barmore migration to Australia +

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

Barmore Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Sarah Barmore, a domestic servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "William Stevenson" 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Barmore (post 1700) +

  • Carlton Barmore Hutchins (1904-1938), U.S. Naval aviator, posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, eponym of the destroyer USS Hutchins (DD-476)


The Barmore Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Regi legi fidelis
Motto Translation: Faithful to king and law.


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. South Australian Register Friday 2nd February 1855. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) William Stevenson 1855. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/williamstevenson1855.shtml


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