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Balmer Family History

Balmer Name Meaning

English and Scottish: occupational name for a seller of perfumes and balms from a Middle English balmer baumer ‘seller of balsam or ointment’ an agent derivative of Middle English balme baume ‘balm balsam; any aromatic or soothing ointment’ (Old French basme balme baume; Latin balsamum ‘aromatic resin’). South German and Swiss German: habitational name for someone from any of the places in Switzerland and Baden called Balm which almost certainly get their names from a Celtic word meaning ‘cave’. German: from the ancient Germanic personal name Baldemar composed of the elements bald ‘bold’ + mar ‘famous’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Palmer, Bolmer, Almer, Balter, Galler, Baller, Bulmer, Balser, Baumer

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Balmer family from?

You can see how Balmer families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Balmer family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Balmer families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 425 Balmer families living in Lancashire. This was about 34% of all the recorded Balmer's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Balmer families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Balmer surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Balmer ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Dairy Farmer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Balmer. 11% of Balmer men worked as a Dairy Farmer and 71% of Balmer women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Balmer were Police Constable and Domestic Servant. .

View Census Data for Balmer | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • Dairy Farmer
    11%
  • General Labourer
    10%
  • Dock Labourer
    7%
  • Police Constable
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    71%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Domestic Servant
    3%
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What Balmer family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 36,000 census records available for the last name Balmer. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Balmer census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Balmer

Passenger Lists

There are 5,000 immigration records available for the last name Balmer. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Balmer immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 3,000 military records available for the last name Balmer. For the veterans among your Balmer ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Balmer military records

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What is the average Balmer lifespan?

Between 1949 and 2004, in the United States, Balmer life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1959, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Balmer in 1949 was 53, and 80 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Balmer

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