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 3,810
Agricultural Labourer 1,147
Labourer 318
House Servant 308
Dress Maker 239
Servant 187
Laundress 173
General Servant 146
House Keeper 127
Shoe Maker 127
Carter 120
Carpenter 119
Coal Miner 115
House Maid 110
Cook 102
Tailor 98
Domestic Servant 84
Blacksmith 81
Gardener 78
Farmer 61
Farm Labourer 61
Fund Holder 58
Groom 54
Butcher 53
Nurse 52

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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