What does the surname Palmer mean?
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Pilgrim returned from Palestine with palm token, Crusade-era nickname became surname. Return from Palestine with a palm frond, proof of pilgrimage, earned you Palmer in rough wool still smelling of ship tar.
Where does the Palmer family come from?
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The Palmer family is rooted in East Midlands and East of England, in England. Within that, the name was particularly concentrated in Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire & the Peak and Leicestershire & Rutland. The atlas page for the name records the historical territory it has held over the centuries.
Where did the Palmer family historically hold territory?
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At its greatest historical extent, the Palmer name has been concentrated in Kent, Surrey, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire & the Isle of Wight and Berkshire & Oxfordshire. The atlas page distinguishes the core territory of the name from this wider historical reach with hatched silhouettes on the map.
Is Palmer a England surname?
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Yes, Palmer is a England surname. Its editorial home in this atlas is England, where the historical territory and family record of the name are concentrated.
How old is the Palmer surname?
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Return from Palestine with a palm frond, proof of pilgrimage, earned you Palmer in rough wool still smelling of ship tar. European hereditary surnames crystallised broadly between the 12th and 14th centuries, and the Palmer name took its modern form within that long settlement.
What is the Palmer family known for?
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The palm-bearer, pilgrimage turned patronymic. Return from Palestine with a palm frond, proof of pilgrimage, earned you Palmer in rough wool still smelling of ship tar.
Where is the Palmer surname found today?
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England is the primary historical home of the Palmer surname. In the modern era, the name is also borne across the wider diaspora, particularly in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, where families carry the line of descent from the same England origin recorded on this page.
What does the Clan Rising page for the Palmer family cover?
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The Clan Rising page for the Palmer family covers the meaning of the surname, the historical geography of the name and the seat of the head of the family. Each section is linked to the underlying atlas of England so the name can be read in the geography that shaped it.
Who is the head of the Palmer family today?
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The seat for the head of the Palmer family is currently vacant on this register. Clan Rising is rebuilding the chief and family structure for the modern era, and the family page allows readers to claim the seat or pledge to the name.