Palmer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

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Palmer is one of the names that was brought to England in the wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. It is a name for a person who worked as a palmer. The surname Palmer was originally derived from the Old French word palmer, which was taken from the Latin word palmifer meaning palm bearer. In this case the original bearer of the surname was a pilgrim who carried palm branches back from the Holy Land. In early history the name Palmer represented a missionary. 1

Early Origins of the Palmer family

The surname Palmer was first found in "the east of England, especially in Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, and Kent." 2 The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 include the following: Alice le Palmere in Cambridgeshire; Ralph le Palmere in Yorkshire; and Robert le Palmere in Lincolnshire. Richard le Palmere was listed in Somerset during the reign of Edward III and the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list Ricardus Palmer as a mason. 3

Ladbroke Hall in Ladbroke, near Stratford upon Avon, Warwickshire was the home of the Palmer family since 1633 when it was purchased by William Palmer. "The church [of Ladbroke] is a handsome structure in the later English style, with a square embattled tower surmounted by a lofty and elegant spire, and contains several monuments, chiefly to the Palmer family." 4

Due to the nature of the surname, it was not surprising to find entries in early Scotland too. Hugh Palmer witnessed resignation of the lands of Ingilbristoun in 1204, and in 1253 Ricardus Palmerus de Kingore attested a memorandum of the ornaments of the chapel of Dundemor. Alexander Palmer witnessed a sale of land in Glasgow, c. 1280-1290, Elye Palmere held a land in Waldeuegate, Berwick, in 1307 and Hugh Palmere was "messager" of the Earl of Douglas in 1397. 5

Early History of the Palmer family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Palmer research. Another 110 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1090, 1634, 1705, 1731, 1735, 1872 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Palmer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Palmer Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Palmer are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Palmer include Palmer, Pallmer, Parmer, Balmer, Ballmer and others.

Early Notables of the Palmer family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Palmer World Ranking

In the United States, the name Palmer is the 151st most popular surname with an estimated 154,194 people with that name. 6 However, in Canada, the name Palmer is ranked the 293rd most popular surname with an estimated 14,920 people with that name. 7 And in France, the name Palmer is the 6,818th popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. 8 Australia ranks Palmer as 121st with 22,087 people. 9 New Zealand ranks Palmer as 134th with 3,506 people. 10 The United Kingdom ranks Palmer as 88th with 52,748 people. 11

Migration of the Palmer family to Ireland

Some of the Palmer family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 167 words (12 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Palmer migration to the United States +

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Palmer, or a variant listed above:

Palmer Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Palmer Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Palmer Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Palmer migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Palmer Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
Palmer Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Palmer migration to Australia +

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

Palmer Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century
Palmer Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Palmer 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:

Palmer Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Palmer migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 25
Palmer Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Palmer (post 1700) +


The Palmer 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: Palma virtuti
Motto Translation: The palm is for virtue.


Suggested Readings for the name Palmer +
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