Local 'the holmer,' one who lived on a holm or home (v. Holm); compare Bridger, Fielder, or Churcher. (a) Occup. 'the heaumer,' a maker of helms or helmets; Old French healme, htaunu. 'Lord, how hasteley the souldyoures buckled their healmes': Hall, Richard III.

Manekyn le Heaumere. Rolls of Parliament.

Alan le Heumer, 16 Edward II: Freemen of York.

(3) Local, 'of Holmer,' a parish two miles from Hereford.

Peter de Homere, Somerset-, 1 Edward III: Kirby's Quest.

John de Homere, Somerset, 1 Edward III: ibid.

1704. Married — Thomas Homer and Anne Sprigmore: St. Antholin (London).

(Anglo-French-Teut.) Helmet-Maker [A.- French heaumere; from Anglo-French heaume, Old French healme, Old Saxon Q.H.Ger. helm, helmet] (English) for Holmer, q.v.

(English) Dweller at the small island or land partially surrounded streams; dweller on a spot of dry in a marsh.

A medieval personal name. A saint bearing it gave name to St. Omer in Picardy, from whence the founder of the family may have come to England-not necessarily, however, since Homerton, Homersham, Homersfield, &c., point distinctly to some Anglo-Saxon proprietor who rejoiced in this poetical designation. The first of the family on record, according to Mr. Dixon, is Thomas de Homere, 1338, who had lands in co. Dorset. A family of Homer have been settled in Staffordshire for centuries. Surnames, p. 37.

Greek, Oμηρρς, a hostage, a pledge or security.

As an English name, not derived from that of the Greek poet. Ferguson thinks it to be from Hamer, according to Grimm, a name under which traces of Thor are still to be found in the popular speech of Germany, and derived, no doubt, from the celebrated hammer or mallet wielded by Thor (from Anglo-Saxon hamor, homer, a hammer); or an Anglo-Saxon form of the Old Norse name Heimir; from Old Norse heim, English home, Scottish, home. He also says Homer may correspond with the German name Homeir; probably from hof-meier, a farm steward. A more reasonable derivation is from Old English and Old French hiaumer, one who fabricates helms, i. e. helmets; from Anglo-Saxon helma, a helm.

Or St. Omer, a branch of the house of Bethune of Picardy, with which it is armorially identified. William, Castellan of St. Omer, was a distinguished historical character t. Henry I. The family was extensively settled in England. William de St. Omer was a justice itinerant t. Edward I. (Mon. ii. 809), and had a writ of military summons 1263. Sir Thomas de St. O. was Lord of several Manors, Norfolk and Wilts 1316 (Parliamentary Writs). Hugh, Richard, and William de St. O. occur in Norfolk, London, &c., 1130 (Rot. Pip.).

(English) Hammer is the signification of the Anglo-Saxon word “homer” or “hamor.” In 12 Edw. III., A.D. 1338, lands in co. Dorset were granted to Thomas de Homere, believed to be the earliest of the name on record. He may have been so called, either from the “martel de fer,” or hammer, being his favorite weapon, or from a manor named “Homere.” (variant: Hamer.) A family surnamed Homer have been settled in Stafford­shire for centuries. According to tradition, their ancestor, an officer, removed there in the fourteenth century, in consequence of having fought a duel. One of his descendants built a house at Ettingshall, near Bilston, parish of Sedgley, co. Stafford; and from him sprang — Edward Homer, of Ettingshall, whose son, Capt. John Homer, b. 1647, immigrated to Boston, Mass., circa 1672; m. Margery Stephens; and d., leaving, int. al., a son, Benja­min Homer, b. 1698, who m. Elizabeth, dau. of John Crowe, and Bethia Sears, his wife. His son, Benjamin Homer, b. 1731, m. Mary, dau. of Bryant Parrott, and Ruth Wadsworth, his wife, and d., leaving one son, of whom presently, and four daus.; viz., Ruth, m. Mons. P. R. Arsonneau; Elizabeth, m. Judge A. Paine; Mary, m. Judge L. Hall; and Bethia C., m. Col. O. Gallup. The only son, Benjamin Parrott Homer, b. 1761, m. Abigail, dau. of David Pearce, of Gloucester, and Bethia Ingersoll, his wife, and d. 1838, leaving one son, of whom hereafter, and two daus.; viz., Mary B., m. Thomas Dixon, K.L., K.N.L., and Georgiana A., m. Philo S. Shelton, Esq. The only son, Fitzhenry Homer, b. 1799, m. Nancy B., dau. of the Hon. J. D'Wolf, of Bristol, R.I., a senator of the U.S., by his wife, Nancy, dau. of Lieut.-Gov. W. Bradford, of Rhode Island, U. S. Senator, and d. 1856, leaving two daus., one of whom, Josephine M., m. Henry Bedlow, Esq.

The Homers of Dorchester and its neighbourhood possess an ancient Dorset surname. According to Lower, there was a Thomas de Homere in 1338 who held lands in this county; Homer is also the name of an ancient Staffordshire family, and there is a hamlet thus called in the adjoining county of Shropshire.