Show ContentsPalmers History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Palmers Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Palmers

What does the name Palmers mean?

Palmers 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 Palmers 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 Palmers represented a missionary. 1

Early Origins of the Palmers family

The surname Palmers 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 Palmers family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Palmers 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 Palmers History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Palmers 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 Palmers 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 Palmers include Palmer, Pallmer, Parmer, Balmer, Ballmer, Polmear and others.

Early Notables of the Palmers family

Sir James Palmer of Dorney Court, Buckinghamshire; and his son, Roger Palmer, 1st Earl of Castlemaine, PC (1634-1705), an English courtier, diplomat, and politician, his wife Barbara Villiers was one of Charles II's mistresses; Thomas Palmer, MP...
Another 36 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Palmers Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Palmers family to Ireland

Some of the Palmers 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.

Migration of the Palmers family

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 Palmers, or a variant listed above: William Palmer, who arrived in Plymouth in 1621 aboard the " Fortune"; Frances Palmer, who arrived in Plymouth in 1623 aboard the "Anne and the Little James".

The Palmers 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.
  1. 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)
  2. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  3. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  4. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  5. 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)

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