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
School 4,535
Farm Labourer 462
Private Means 392
General Labourer 272
General Servant (domestic) 264
Farmer 256
Labourer 233
Dressmaker 229
None 209
Coal Miner Hewer 207
Domestic Servant 170
Clerk 166
House Painter 154
At School 151
Shop Assistant 141
Scholar 136
Dress Maker 133
Laundress 119
At Home 119
Bricklayer 117
Carpenter 115
Butcher 111
Cook (domestic) 109
General Servant Domestic 105
Assisting In The Business 101

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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