Palmer Name Origin, Meaning and Family History

Palmer Name Meaning: The surname Palmer is taken from the word palme, meaning "palm tree".

Someone who had been to the Holy Land on a pilgrimage was often nicknamed Palmer of Parmer, as they would bring back a palm leaf as proof of their journey.

Discover how your Palmer ancestors earned their living and spread across the country. Find out more about your family history by using the Free Search box.

Surname Distribution

Census frequency by county

Name Concentrations Within England and Wales

Palmer Surname Statistics


Top Professions for the Palmer family

Profession Census Frequency
Scholar 3,023
Agricultural Labourer 1,173
House Servant 506
Labourer 345
At Home 285
Dress Maker 249
Farm Labourer 243
Servant 217
Annuitant 171
Pauper 141
Shoe Maker 134
General Servant 133
Carpenter 127
Laundress 124
Tailor 112
House Keeper 105
Errand Boy 82
Scholar At Home 79
Coal Miner 77
Gardener 75
Cook 72
Glover 67
Farm Servant 63
Wife Of Above 61
House Maid 60

Palmer Surname Variants Ranking

Rank Surname Match Census Frequency
1 Palmer 100% 258,595
2 Plumer 67% 2,496
3 Palmore 71% 1,285
4 Plamer 67% 797
5 Pilmer 83% 783
6 Polmer 83% 581
7 Plomer 67% 541
8 Palmar 83% 476
9 Plimer 67% 456
10 Pulmer 83% 428
11 Polmear 71% 405
12 Palmor 83% 367
13 Pilmore 57% 349
14 Pelmear 71% 336
15 Pilmoor 57% 333
16 Palmour 71% 129
17 Pelmer 83% 107
18 Pomer 67% 102

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The surname Palmer is the most popular version of all its varients

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