Palmer Family History

Palmer Surname Meaning

English: nickname from Middle English palmer(e) ‘palmer pilgrim to the Holy Land’ (Anglo-Norman French palmer Old French pa(l)mer paum(i)er) so called from the palm branch carried by such pilgrims. The term was also used to denote an itinerant monk who traveled from shrine to shrine under a vow of poverty. This surname is also common in Ireland where it has been recorded from the 13th century onward.

Irish: when not of English origin (see 1 above) a surname adopted for Gaelic Ó Maolfhoghmhair (see Milford), the name of an ecclesiastical family.

Swedish (mainly Palmér): ornamental name formed with palm ‘palm tree’ + the suffix -ér (a derivative of Latin -erius) or -er (from German).

German: topographic name for someone living among pussy willows (see Palm).

German: from the personal name Palm (see Palm).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022

Similar surnames: Palm, Balmer, Almer, Paley, Hammer, Galler, Kalmer, Hamer, Palmero, Palme

2M	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
208K	Military Records
145K	Immigration Records
1M	Census and Voter Lists
4M	Member Trees

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Where is the Palmer family from?

You can see how Palmer families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Palmer family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Palmer families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 1,428 Palmer families living in Ontario. This was about 47% of all the recorded Palmer's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Palmer families in 1911.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Palmer surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Palmer

What did your Palmer ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Palmer. 33% of Palmer men worked as a Farmer and 12% of Palmer women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Palmer were Carpenter and Teacher.

View Census Data for Palmer

Data not to scale

We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Farmer

33%

Labourer

10%

Laborer

Carpenter

Housekeeper

12%

Stenographer

10%

Servant

Teacher

What Palmer family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 1M census records available for the last name Palmer. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Palmer census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Palmer

Passenger List

There are 145K immigration records available for the last name Palmer. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Palmer immigration records

Military Records

There are 208K military records available for the last name Palmer. For the veterans among your Palmer ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Palmer military records

You've only scratched the surface of Palmer family history

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What is the average Palmer lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Palmer life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Palmer in 1940 was 39, and 74 in 2004.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Palmer family tree

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Palmer Surname Meaning

Irish: when not of English origin (see 1 above) a surname adopted for Gaelic Ó Maolfhoghmhair (see Milford), the name of an ecclesiastical family.

Swedish (mainly Palmér): ornamental name formed with palm ‘palm tree’ + the suffix -ér (a derivative of Latin -erius) or -er (from German).

German: topographic name for someone living among pussy willows (see Palm).

German: from the personal name Palm (see Palm).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022

Where is the Palmer family from?

What did your Palmer ancestors do for a living?

Data not to scale

We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Farmer

33%

Labourer

10%

Laborer

Carpenter

Housekeeper

12%

Stenographer

10%

Servant

Teacher

What Palmer family records will you find?

What is the average Palmer lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Palmer life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Palmer in 1940 was 39, and 74 in 2004.

Palmer Family History

Palmer Surname Meaning

7 million record(s) for Palmer

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Palmer family from?

What did your Palmer ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1921

Top Female Occupations In 1921

What Palmer family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Palmer family history

What is the average Palmer lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Palmer family tree

Search for another surname

Palmer Surname Meaning

7 million record(s) for Palmer

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Palmer family from?

What did your Palmer ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1921

Top Female Occupations In 1921

What Palmer family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Palmer family history

What is the average Palmer lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Palmer family tree

Search for another surname