NameCensus.

UK surname

Palmer

An occupational surname referring to a pilgrim who carried a palm branch as a symbol of their journey.

In the 1881 census there were 35,153 people recorded with the Palmer surname, ranking it #90 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 50,675, ranked #94, down from #90 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Cambridgeshire, Waveney and Forest Heath.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Palmer is 52,945 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 44.2%.

1881 census count

35,153

Ranked #90

Modern count

50,675

2016, ranked #94

Peak year

1999

52,945 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Palmer had 35,153 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #90 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 50,675 in 2016, ranked #94.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 48,442 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Palmer surname distribution map

The map shows where the Palmer surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Palmer surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Palmer over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 24,245 #82
1861 historical 23,596 #87
1881 historical 35,153 #90
1891 historical 38,312 #87
1901 historical 44,398 #89
1911 historical 48,442 #77
1997 modern 50,600 #85
1998 modern 52,636 #85
1999 modern 52,945 #85
2000 modern 52,279 #85
2001 modern 50,967 #86
2002 modern 52,090 #85
2003 modern 50,858 #87
2004 modern 50,848 #87
2005 modern 49,856 #89
2006 modern 49,714 #91
2007 modern 50,001 #92
2008 modern 50,296 #91
2009 modern 51,446 #91
2010 modern 52,399 #91
2011 modern 51,692 #91
2012 modern 50,717 #91
2013 modern 51,537 #91
2014 modern 51,722 #91
2015 modern 51,041 #93
2016 modern 50,675 #94

Geography

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Where Palmers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, St Pancras and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Cambridgeshire, Waveney, Forest Heath, West Devon and Sedgemoor. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Cambridgeshire 006 East Cambridgeshire
2 Waveney 014 Waveney
3 Forest Heath 002 Forest Heath
4 West Devon 005 West Devon
5 Sedgemoor 013 Sedgemoor

Forenames

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First names often paired with Palmer

These lists show first names that appear often with the Palmer surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Palmer

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Palmer, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Palmer surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Palmer household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Palmer is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Palmer is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Palmer falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Palmer is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Palmer, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Palmer

The surname Palmer originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word 'palmier', meaning a pilgrim who carried a palm leaf upon returning from the Holy Land. The name was first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as 'Palmerus'.

In the 12th century, the surname Palmer was found in various regions of England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk. It was often associated with families who lived near churches dedicated to St. John the Baptist, whose symbol was a palm branch.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name is William Palmer, a monk who lived in the town of Crowland, Lincolnshire, in the late 12th century. He is mentioned in the Crowland Chronicle, a medieval manuscript detailing the history of the local abbey.

Another notable Palmer was John Palmer, a wealthy merchant from Leicestershire who was born in 1445. He made a fortune in the wool trade and became a prominent figure in Leicester, serving as the town's mayor in 1485.

In the 16th century, the Palmer surname was also found in Scotland, where it was sometimes spelled 'Palmeir' or 'Palmair'. One famous bearer of the name was Robert Palmer, a Scottish clergyman who lived from 1545 to 1619 and was known for his sermons and writings on theology.

During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, a family of Palmers lived in the village of Wingham, Kent. One member, Sir Thomas Palmer, was born in 1540 and served as a member of Parliament and a justice of the peace.

In the 17th century, the Palmer name was associated with several notable figures in the English Civil War. One such individual was Roger Palmer, born in 1615, who fought on the Royalist side and was later appointed as a member of the Privy Council by King Charles II.

The surname Palmer has a rich history spanning centuries in England and Scotland. It has been borne by monks, merchants, clergymen, politicians, and soldiers, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements of those who carried this name throughout the ages.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Palmer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Palmer surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 4,969 Palmers recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.44x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 4,969 1.44x
Surrey 2,333 1.39x
Kent 1,764 1.50x
Somerset 1,678 3.03x
Norfolk 1,618 3.06x
Devon 1,542 2.15x
Yorkshire 1,513 0.44x
Warwickshire 1,407 1.62x
Gloucestershire 1,257 1.86x
Lancashire 1,154 0.28x
Staffordshire 1,059 0.91x
Leicestershire 1,044 2.73x
Hampshire 1,033 1.46x
Essex 963 1.42x
Suffolk 937 2.23x
Northamptonshire 730 2.25x
Lincolnshire 678 1.23x
Worcestershire 670 1.49x
Durham 655 0.64x
Cambridgeshire 624 2.86x
Nottinghamshire 602 1.30x
Berkshire 592 2.29x
Wiltshire 472 1.55x
Sussex 468 0.81x
Glamorgan 452 0.75x
Dorset 394 1.74x
Shropshire 367 1.23x
Hertfordshire 359 1.51x
Northumberland 326 0.64x
Derbyshire 325 0.60x
Oxfordshire 285 1.34x
Buckinghamshire 257 1.23x
Cornwall 248 0.64x
Herefordshire 233 1.65x
Cheshire 208 0.27x
Cumberland 207 0.70x
Lanarkshire 200 0.18x
Monmouthshire 199 0.80x
Bedfordshire 191 1.07x
Pembrokeshire 138 1.26x
Huntingdonshire 135 1.97x
Midlothian 88 0.19x
Channel Islands 82 0.80x
Dumfriesshire 82 1.08x
Angus 67 0.21x
Rutland 67 2.65x
Royal Navy 64 1.56x
Aberdeenshire 62 0.19x
Kirkcudbrightshire 55 1.10x
Stirlingshire 54 0.43x
Westmorland 40 0.53x
Renfrewshire 39 0.15x
Denbighshire 33 0.25x
Brecknockshire 29 0.42x
Carmarthenshire 27 0.19x
Wigtownshire 21 0.46x
Argyllshire 17 0.18x
Selkirkshire 17 0.55x
Fife 16 0.08x
Ayrshire 14 0.05x
Montgomeryshire 14 0.18x
West Lothian 13 0.25x
Perthshire 11 0.07x
Radnorshire 11 0.40x
Berwickshire 10 0.24x
Caernarfonshire 10 0.07x
Clackmannanshire 10 0.35x
Morayshire 10 0.19x
Anglesey 8 0.13x
Dunbartonshire 8 0.09x
Kincardineshire 6 0.14x
Roxburghshire 5 0.08x
Buteshire 4 0.19x
Merionethshire 4 0.06x
Flintshire 3 0.03x
Isle of Man 3 0.05x
Caithness 2 0.04x
Cardiganshire 2 0.02x
East Lothian 2 0.04x
Banffshire 1 0.01x
Inverness-shire 1 0.01x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 521 Palmers recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.80x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 521 1.80x
Islington London 478 1.43x
Lambeth 441 1.47x
Aston 421 1.76x
St Pancras London 403 1.45x
Portsea 326 2.36x
Camberwell 295 1.34x
St Marylebone London 295 1.60x
Kensington London 287 1.50x
Hackney London 286 1.48x
Leicester St Margaret 257 2.76x
Shoreditch London 248 1.66x
West Ham 246 1.64x
Newington 228 1.79x
Battersea 219 1.73x
Nottingham St Mary 212 1.77x
Chelsea London 203 1.96x
Bethnal Green London 198 1.32x
Mile End Old Town 182 3.35x
Hammersmith London 174 2.05x
Deptford St Paul 168 1.85x
Paddington London 168 1.33x
Heigham 157 5.52x
Great Yarmouth 156 3.56x
Bermondsey 155 1.51x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 155 2.44x
Croydon 152 1.63x
Plymouth St Andrew 145 2.63x
St George Hanover 145 3.23x
Bromley London 138 1.82x
Bedminster 134 2.57x
Bristol St George 121 3.87x
Peterborough 121 5.16x
Stoke Damerel 121 2.41x
Soham 112 23.86x
Poplar London 106 1.63x
Southwark St George Martyr 103 1.49x
Leeds 100 0.52x
Wolverhampton 98 1.10x
Kingswinford 96 2.27x
Lewisham 96 1.53x
Bridgewater 94 6.25x
St Andrewthe Less 94 3.77x
Hampstead London 92 1.72x
Stoke Upon Trent 88 0.71x
Walsall Foreign 87 1.45x
Tottenham 86 1.57x
Kidderminster Borough 85 3.23x
Over Stowey 85 137.61x
Sheffield 85 0.78x
Greenwich 83 1.51x
Leicester St Mary 83 2.69x
Weston Super Mare 83 5.93x
Clifton 81 2.37x
Southampton St Mary 79 1.78x
St George In East 78 3.33x
Clerkenwell London 76 0.94x
Lakenheath 75 33.86x
Oldham 74 0.56x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 73 2.30x
Mangotsfield 73 10.84x
Leamington Priors 72 3.37x
Salford 70 0.58x
Manchester 69 0.38x
Plumstead 68 1.74x
Brighton 67 0.57x
Liverpool 67 0.27x
Woolwich 67 1.54x
Barony 66 0.23x
Walcot 65 2.20x
Dudley 64 1.17x
Rowley Regis 64 1.98x
St Luke London 64 1.16x
Westminster St 63 4.96x
Rotherhithe 62 1.46x
Fulham London 61 1.22x
Govan 61 0.22x
Ramsey 61 11.14x
Limehouse London 60 1.59x
Reading St Giles 60 2.37x
Royal Navy 60 1.71x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Palmer surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 2,143
Elizabeth 1,332
Sarah 1,177
Ann 627
Emma 610
Eliza 573
Jane 561
Alice 560
Ellen 535
Annie 528
Emily 491
Louisa 279
Hannah 272
Harriet 265
Florence 257
Charlotte 243
Martha 243
Maria 237
Edith 235
Caroline 228
Margaret 209
Ada 206
Fanny 197
Kate 170
Clara 168
Lucy 160
Susan 158
Frances 133
Agnes 127
Catherine 125
Harriett 121
Rose 119
Amelia 115
Anne 110
Julia 99
Matilda 90
Esther 83
Sophia 83
Isabella 79
Amy 75
Rebecca 73
Jessie 70
Lydia 67
Minnie 67
Susannah 67
Ethel 61
Gertrude 61
Bessie 60
Elizth. 58
Eleanor 56

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Palmer surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 2,284
John 1,888
George 1,320
Thomas 1,038
James 988
Henry 821
Charles 801
Alfred 424
Joseph 410
Robert 408
Edward 389
Frederick 389
Arthur 365
Samuel 309
Walter 291
Richard 261
Albert 248
Harry 208
Ernest 181
Frank 170
Herbert 165
Edwin 164
Francis 130
David 95
Benjamin 88
Fred 81
Wm. 76
Thos. 68
Daniel 65
Sidney 62
Geo. 60
Stephen 57
Edmund 55
Isaac 47
Philip 47
Tom 46
Percy 45
Peter 36
Andrew 35
Fredrick 35
Fredk. 34
Mark 33
Frederic 31
Chas. 29
Willm. 29
Edgar 28
Matthew 28
Sydney 27
Willie 27
Jesse 26

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Palmer households.

FAQ

Palmer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Palmer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 35,153 people were recorded with the Palmer surname. That placed it at #90 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Palmer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 50,675 in 2016. That gives Palmer a modern rank of #94.

What does the Palmer surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a pilgrim who carried a palm branch as a symbol of their journey.

What does the Palmer map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Palmer bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.