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
Living On Own Means 535
General Labourer 483
Scholar 345
Dress Maker 310
General Servant Domestic 284
Cook Domestic 234
Farmer 232
Agricultural Labourer 192
Domestic Servant 169
Carpenter 153
Housemaid Domestic 152
Coal Miner Hewer 136
House Maid Domestic 124
School 122
Laundress Wash 120
Ordinary Agricultural Labourer 105
Gardener Domestic 102
Charwoman 100
Butcher 99
Dressmaker 94
Servant Domestic 90
House Painter 86
Draper Assistant 82
Bricklayer 81
Tailoress 81

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

Did you know?

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

Search for the Palmer family