Palmer Family History

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Palmer Name Meaning

English: from Middle English, Old French palmer, paumer (from palme, paume ‘palm tree’, Latin palma), a nickname for someone who had been on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Such pilgrims generally brought back a palm branch as proof that they had actually made the journey, but there was a vigorous trade in false souvenirs, and the term also came to be applied to a cleric who sold indulgences. Swedish (Palmér): ornamental name formed with palm ‘palm tree’ + the suffix -ér, from Latin -erius ‘descendant of’. Irish: when not truly of English origin (see 1 above), a surname adopted by bearers of Gaelic Ó Maolfhoghmhair (see Milford) perhaps because they were from an ecclesiastical family. German: topographic name for someone living among pussy willows (see Palm 2). German: from the personal name Palm (see Palm 3).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


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

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Palmer Family Origin

Where is the Palmer family from?

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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 the 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

Palmer Family Occupations

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 CA named Palmer. 27% of Palmer men worked as a Farmer and 9% 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

Top Male Occupations in 1921

  • Farmer
    27%
  • Labourer
    8%
  • Laborer
    5%
  • Carpenter
    3%

Top Female Occupations in 1921

  • Housekeeper
    9%
  • Stenographer
    8%
  • Servant
    7%
  • Teacher
    7%

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

Palmer Historical Records

What Palmer family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 1 million 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 1881 Canadian census records for Palmer

Passenger List

There are 145,000 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.

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Draft Card

There are 208,000 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.

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Palmer Life Expectancy

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.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Palmer

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Palmer ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

Famous Palmer Family Ancestors

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