Hearmar History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the Hearmar family arrived in England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Hearmar came from the Old English given name Heremoer. It derives from the Old English elements here, which means army, and moer, which means fame. 1

Alternatively, the name could have been "an ancient personal name, occurring in the Domesday Book of Norfolk among the tenants in chief as Hermerus. " 2

The family may have originated in Normandy as the Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae lists John, Ralph, William Hermer, in Normandy, (1180 - 1198.) 3

Early Origins of the Hearmar family

The surname Hearmar was first found in Staffordshire where as a forename, Hermerus de la Bold was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1176. A few years later, Willelmus filius Hermeri was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls for Lincolnshire in 1208 and William de Herme was found in the Curia Regis Rolls for Sussex in 1207. Simon de Haremere was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296. Later again, Walter Hermer was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Suffolk in 1327. 4

In Yorkshire, Johannes Hermer was listed in the Poll Tax of Howdenshire in 1379 and Ricardus Hermer was found in the Poll Tax of Yorkshire of 1379. 5

Early History of the Hearmar family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hearmar research. Another 104 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1555, 1569, 1572, 1575, 1594, 1610, 1613, 1646, 1647, 1670 and 1972 are included under the topic Early Hearmar History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hearmar Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Harmer, Harmar, Hermer, Hermar, Hearmer, Hearmar and others.

Early Notables of the Hearmar family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was John Harmer or Harmar (c.1555- c.1613), English professor of Greek at Oxford. He was born, probably of humble parentage, at Newbury in Berkshire about 1555. Through the influence of the Earl of Leicester, he was elected to St. Mary's College, Winchester, in 1569, at the age of fourteen; in 1572 he obtained a scholarship at New College, Oxford, where he matriculated on 10 Jan. 1575...
Another 72 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hearmar Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Hearmar family

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Hearmar or a variant listed above: John Harmar, who arrived in Virginia in 1652Richard Harmer, who came to Virginia in 1670; William Harmer settled in Barbados in 1679 with his servants.

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)