Show ContentsWillmer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Willmer family

The surname Willmer was first found in Hampshire at Woolmer, between Liphook and Bordon. The surrounding Woolmer (Wolmer) Forest, is a Royal forest. Woolmer Green is a small village and civil parish in Hertfordshire.

"The surname is more probably from the Anglo-Saxon personal name Wulmer." [1]

The earliest record of the family was found at the time of the Domesday Book of 1086 when Wlmer, Vlfmer, Wlmer were all listed at that time [2] A few years later, Ulmer Aeltredes was listed in Suffolk c. 1095. [3] This latter source also notes that the name could have been derived "from a lost Wolmoor in Ormskirk, Lancashire 'wolves moor'. " [3] But he also concurs that the aforementioned Woolmer Forest origin may be a possibility. Woolmore Fram in Melksham, Wiltshire was derived from "wolves' pool."

Early History of the Willmer family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Willmer research. Another 172 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1246, 1097, 1246, 1537, 1478, 1510, 1512, 1632, 1692, 1655, 1718, 1685, 1755, 1720 and 1772 are included under the topic Early Willmer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Willmer Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Wolmer, Woolmer, Wollmore, Woolman, Ullmer, Ulmer, Wollmer, Wulmar, Wulmare, Wilmore, Wilmer, Wilmere, Wulmere, Woolmore, Woolmore, Wollmor and many more.

Early Notables of the Willmer family (pre 1700)

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Richard Wolman or Woleman (d. 1537), English divine, Dean of Wells, presumed to have been the son of Richard Wolman, cater to John Howard, duke of Norfolk. "There was a family of the name at Alderford, Norfolk. In 1478 Richard Wolman was a member of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. He also studied abroad, being entered in the...
Another 64 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Willmer Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Willmer migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Willmer Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Simon Willmer, who arrived in Maryland in 1679 [4]
Willmer Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Cyprian Willmer, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1786-1808 [4]
Willmer Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Joh Heinr Willmer, who arrived in America in 1835 [4]
  • Melchior Anton Willmer, who landed in Cincinnati, Oh in 1846 [4]

Contemporary Notables of the name Willmer (post 1700) +

  • Edward Nevill Willmer (1902-2001), sometime Professor of Histology at Cambridge University in England


  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  3. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  4. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)


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