This surname is derived from an occupation. 'the palmer,' a pilgrim to the Holy Land; a common entry in the Hundred Rolls.

'The faded palm-branch in his hand, Showed pilgrim from the Holy Land.': Scott.

Alice le Palmere, Cambridgeshire, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

Ralph le Palmere, Yorkshire, ibid.

Robert le Palmere, Lincolnshire, ibid.

Richard le Palmere, Somerset, 1 Edward III: Kirby's Quest.

Roger le Palmere, Middlesex, 20 Edward I: Placita de Quo Warranto, temp. Edward I-III.

Ricardus Palmer, mason, 1379: Poll Tax of Yorkshire.

1565. Henry Palmer and Agnes Hayes, widow: Marriage Lic. (London).

Hugh Palmer witnessed resignation of the lands of Ingilbristoun in 1204 (Dryburgk, 163), and in 1253 Ricardus Palmerus de Kingore attested a memorandum of the ornaments of the chapel of Dundemor (LAC., p. 72). Alexander Palmer witnessed a sale of land in Glasgow, c. 1280-90 (REG., p. 198), Elye Palmere held a land in Waldeuegate, Berwick, in 1307 C Kelso, 43), and Hugh Palmere was "messager" of the earl of Douglas in 1397 (Bain, IV, 489). John Palmer was to have the usufruct of the hospital lands of St. James, Stirling, in 1402 (Cambus., 108), Bartholomew Palmer in Glasgow had resignation of a liferent in his favor in 1553 (Protocols, I), and Adam Pamer or Palmer was tenant under the abbot of Kelso in 1567 (Kelso, p. 524,525). A palmer originally was one who bore a palm-branch in token of having been to the Holy Land.

Palmer is a name of Norman origin-Old-French le paumer, i.e. the palmer or pilgrim. It is of very frequent occurrence in Anglo-Norman records in Ireland from the thirteenth century. In those early times it was not associated with any particular part of the country, and few Irish Palmers of the present day can claim descent from these mediaeval immigrants. Families of the name were definitely established as landed proprietors both in Kerry and in Meath (later Kildare) in the seventeenth century. Today it is fairly numerous only in east Ulster and in the city of Dublin.

Palmer has sometimes been used as an anglicized form of Ó Maolfhoghmhair (Mullover); but it is essentially an English name. There are 57 Palmers in the Dictionary of National Biography, only two of whom have Irish connexions: one a British colonial politician who happened to be born in Ireland and the other the celebrated Dublin beauty Eleanor Ambrose (c. 1720-1818),who married Sir Roger Palmer of Mayo and Dublin.

(Anglo-Latin) Palm-Bearing Pilgrim (from Palestine) [Middle English palmer(e; Old English palm + the agential suff. -ere; Latin palma, a palm-tree] Ralph le Palmere.—Hund. Rolls- And whan I come to the kirk, And sholde knele to the roode, And preye for the peple ....

For pilgrymes and for palmeres.—Piers Plowman, 2679-83.

Where with my hands I hewed a house Out of a craggy rocke of stone, And lived like a palmer poore Within that cave myself alone.—‘The Legend of Sir Guy’: Percy's Reliques.

The corresponding French Paulmier and Paumier are not nearly so common in France as Palmer is in this country; and there is now confusion with the French paumier, a tennis-court keeper.

This is essentially an English name of Norman origin-le paumer, the palmer or pilgrim. As such it is on record in Ireland since the thirteenth century.

For its occasional use as the synonym of a Gaelic-Irish name see Mullover. SIF 121

“Pilgrim to Jerusalem” in Old French (Paumier). From their medieval custom of carrying palm-branches.

(English) A palm-bearing pilgrim returned from the Holy Land.

An incessant pilgrim-one who spent all his time in visiting holy shrines, whereas the ordinary pilgrim returned to his usual course of life as soon as his particular expiatory journey was finished. See Scott's Marmion, and English Surn. i. 131,

A pilgrim, so called from the palm—branch, which he constantly carried as a pledge of his having been in the Holy Land.

"Here is a holy Palmer come,

From Salem first, and last from Rome."

Scott's Marmion.

Hugh le Paumier, Normandy 1180-95. Ennore, Peter, Robert le Paumer 1198, Ranulph, Robert, Warin, William, John Palmer or Palmarius 1180-95, also Richard and William Paumier. Arthur, Fulco, Peter, William Palmer, Paumer 1198 (Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae). Reginald, Robert, Roger, William, Engl. 1189 (Rot. Pip.). Hugh and William 1203 (Rotulus Cancellarii). Geoffry, Richard, Robert, William, Engl. 1194-1200 (Rotuli Curiae Regis). Palmarius or Le Paumer in the 11th and 12th centuries meant a Crusader in Palestine, and included families of different origin. In England four families of the name are traceable to a Norman origin, viz. 1. The Palmers of Lincoln, of whom Roger P. held from William de Roumar, Earl of Lincoln (Mon. i. 823), and William P. was living 1203 (Rotulus Cancellarii). He also occurs in Normandy 1203 (Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae). 2. The P.s of York, of whom Robert le Paumier gave lands to Fountains (Burton, Mon. Ebor. 166), and is mentioned in Normandy 1189 (Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae). From the Yorkshire line are stated to be descended the P.s of Warwick, ancestors of Lord Selborne. 3. The P.s of Northampton, of whom Hugh paid scutage 1203, and appears in Normandy at the same time (Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae); from whom the P.s of Carlton, baronets. 4. The Palmers of Hants and Sussex. This family is a branch of the Bassetts, deriving from Anchetil Fitz-Osmund or Basset, Lord of Cosham, Hants 1086, who went to Palestine 1096, and appears 1110 as Anchetil Palmarius at Winchester (Wint. Domesday). His son Geoffry Fitz-Anchetil or Basset, living 1103, was father of Herbert Fitz-Geoffry or Palmarius 1148 (Ib.), father of Herbert Fitz-Herbert of Hants 1165 (Lib. Niger), who had, 1. Peter de Cosham, mentioned in Normandy as ‘de Pont-Doylly;’ 2. William le Paumer or de Cosham (Testa de Neville) t. John. The latter had issue, Sir William Basset of Sussex, Knight (where the family had long held estates called Basset’s Fee in Billinghurst from the Abbey of Fescamp, Normandy), whose daughter Lucy was admitted a nun at Easeborne by letter of Archbishop Peckham (Mon. Angl.). His sons Ralph and Adam Basset occur in Sussex c. 1281 (Dallaway, West Sussex). They were subsequently resident at Steyning, bearing the name of Palmer, 1305, 1308 (PPW.: Dallaway).

From Ralph descended the P.s of Angmering, who bore the Bassett arms, barry of 6 or and gules, or two bars and a bend, from whom the baronets Palmer and Earl of Castlemaine.

From the Flemish, Palmaert; from the Dutch, Pallme; from the German, Palmer; personal name Richard Palmer held lands in Worcestershire temp. King John.

Palmer. —With the exception of a scanty representation in Cumberland and Westmoreland, this name does not occur in my list in the counties north of a line joining the Humber and the Dee. The modern representatives of the ancient pilgrims (the palmers of the Crusades, who carried a staff of palm - wood in their hands) are, however, pretty generally distributed over the rest of the country, having their principal home in the east of England, especially in Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, and Kent, where, as we learn from the Hundred Rolls, they were numerous as far back as the 13th century, particularly in Norfolk and Hunts. The midland home of the name is in Warwickshire and Worcestershire, whilst in the south - west of England they are best represented in Devon and Somerset.