Palmer

An Irish surname of Antrim. In the 2010 US census it was carried by 156,601 people, the 172nd most common surname in the country.

Palmer is the anglicised form of two distinct Irish names. Some you can hear in the English name; others look and sound nothing like it, and were simply swapped for it.

Ó Maolfoghmhair, Ó Maolfhoghmhair, descendant of Maolfoghmhair (chief of harvest)

Pámar

Where the name comes from

Pámar is the Norman le Palmer: the palmer, the palm-bearing pilgrim home from the Holy Land. An old surname here.

Ó Maolfoghmhair, descendant of Maolfoghmhair, the chief of harvest, is a different thing entirely: a distinguished ecclesiastical family who were erenaghs (the hereditary lay heads of families that held church lands) of the church of Killala and supplied several bishops to that see. The name was still in the district when it was last looked for, anglicised Milford.

The Giant's Causeway at twilight with wet hexagonal basalt columns stretching to the sea and long exposure blurred waves
The Giant's Causeway, Co. Antrim

Antrim, photographed

Photographs made in Antrim.

Antrim

The Antrim coast road runs about 25 miles between the cliffs and the sea, with nine glens coming down to it. The rock is basalt, the same flow that formed the Giant's Causeway. Scotland is 12 miles off at the narrowest point and visible on a clear day.

The iconic Dark Hedges beech tree tunnel near Armoy in County Antrim with intertwined branches forming a brooding canopyThe Dark Hedges, Co. Antrim Co. Antrim Long exposure of Pan's Rock with its footbridge at dawn on the Antrim Causeway Coast, silky water and blurred clouds, Rathlin Island on the horizonPan's Rock, Co. Antrim Co. Antrim Sunrise over Colliery Bay with Fair Head cliffs and mountains, Co. Antrim, fine art landscape photograph by Peter CoxColliery Bay & Fair Head, Co. Antrim Co. Antrim Dunluce Castle on coastal cliffs with long exposure sea, Co. Antrim, fine art landscape photograph by Peter CoxDunluce Castle, Co. Antrim Co. Antrim Black and white photograph of a rainstorm sweeping across the Skerries islands off the North Antrim coast near PortrushRainstorm, the Skerries, Co. Antrim Co. Antrim Sunset over Bengore Head with waves rolling over rocks, Co. Antrim, Ireland — fine art landscape photograph by Peter CoxBengore Head, Co. Antrim Co. Antrim Sunset over the Skerries coast in County Antrim with warm light reflecting on wet sand and rock formationsThe Skerries, Co. Antrim Co. Antrim

All Antrim prints

Notable bearers

Cole Palmer (born 2002), association football player.

Keke Palmer (born 1993), actor, singer, and musician.

Teresa Palmer (born 1986), actor and model.

Arnold Palmer (1929-2016), athlete, aircraft pilot, and architect.

Amanda Palmer (born 1976), writer, singer, and musician.

About this page

The counties on this page are where the name was thickest on the ground in Ireland a century and a half ago, not a claim about any one family. Names moved around inside the country as much as they left it. The photographs are mine, made in the counties named.

More Irish surnames: Johnson · Collins · Murphy · Howard · Coleman · Hayes · Mason · Warren · Ryan · Lane · Franklin · Obrien

How common the name was

In 1890, 32 births were registered under Palmer in Ireland, most of them in Antrim.

Munster 9
Connacht 0
Leinster no figure printed
Ulster no figure printed
Ireland 32