Almer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

The Strongbownians added their own naming traditions to the eastern region of Ireland to which they arrived. The impact of this new tradition was not extremely disruptive to the pre-existing Irish tradition because the two had many similarities. Both cultures made significant use of hereditary surnames. And like the Irish, the Strongbownians often used prefixes to build patronymic surnames, which are names based on the given name of the initial bearer's father or another older relative. Strongbow's followers often created names that were built with the prefix Fitz-, which was derived from the French word fils, and ultimately from the Latin filius, both of which mean son. They also used diminutive suffixes such as -ot, -et, -un, -in, or -el, and occasionally even two suffixes combined to form a double diminutive such as -el-in, -el-ot, -in-ot, and -et-in, to build patronymic names. The surname Almer is derived from the Anglo-Saxon personal name Ædelmær, which literally means "noble, famous." The Gaelic form of the surname Almer is Aighlmear.

Early Origins of the Almer family

The surname Almer was first found in Essex, where they were tenants in chief and Lords of the manor of Aylmer.

"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." 1

"This Anglo-Saxon name came to Ireland after the Norman invasion and, settling in Leinster, families so called became hibernicized." 2

Early History of the Almer family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Almer research. Another 82 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1650, 1678 and 1720 are included under the topic Early Almer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Almer Spelling Variations

Church officials and medieval scribes spelled names as they sounded; therefore, single person, could have his name spelt many different ways during their lifetime. While investigating the origins of the name Almer, many spelling variations were encountered, including: Ailmer, Aylmer, Elmer, Elmore, Ellmore, Ellmer and others.

Early Notables of the Almer family

Notable amongst the family up to this time was Matthew Aylmer (c.1650-1720), Lord Aylmer, Admiral and Commander-in-Chief, the second son of Sir Christopher Aylmer of Balrath, County Meath. "He entered the navy under the protection of the Duke of Buckingham, as...
Another 41 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Almer Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Almer family

Ireland went through one of the most devastating periods in its history with the arrival of the Great Potato Famine of the 1840s. Many also lost their lives from typhus, fever and dysentery. And poverty was the general rule as tenant farmers were often evicted because they could not pay the high rents. Emigration to North America gave hundreds of families a chance at a life where work, freedom, and land ownership were all possible. For those who made the long journey, it meant hope and survival. The Irish emigration to British North America and the United States opened up the gates of industry, commerce, education and the arts. Early immigration and passenger lists have shown many Irish people bearing the name Almer: Edward Ellmer who settled in New England in 1632; Thomas Ellmore settled in Virginia in 1654; Charles Elmer and his wife Hannah landed in America in 1836.

Contemporary Notables of the name Almer (post 1700) +

Edward Almer Ames Jr. (1903-1987), American Democratic Party politician, Chair of Accomack County Democratic Party, 1948-67; Member of Virginia State Senate 1st District, 1956-67 3
Almer McKerlie, Canadian hockey official, inducted into the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
Almer Rydeen, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Alaska territorial House of Representatives 2nd District, 1919-22, 1927-28, 1949-50 4
Almer Fisk Gallup (b. 1884), American Republican politician, Pastor; Independent Republican Candidate for Connecticut State House of Representatives from Killingly, 1932. Nazarene 5
Almer C. Huff, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1920 3
Almer F. Dickson, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Connecticut State House of Representatives from East Haddam, 1910, 1912 6
Almer Stillwell Mike Monroney (1902-1980), American Democratic Party politician, U.S. Representative from Oklahoma 5th District, 1939-51; U.S. Senator from Oklahoma, 1951-69; Defeated, 1968 7
Almer J. Peterson, American Republican politician, Member of Alaska territorial House of Representatives 3rd District, 1941-42, 1945-46; Candidate for Delegate to U.S. Congress from Alaska Territory, 1946 8

Citations +

Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
MacLysaght, Edward, More Irish Families. Dublin: Irish Academic Press, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-0126-0)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 15) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 13) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 23) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html