Homer Family History

English (West Midlands): occupational name for a maker of helmets, from the adopted Old French term he(a)umier, from he(a)ume ‘helmet’, of Germanic origin. Compare Helm 2. English: variant of Holmer. Americanized form of the Greek family name Homiros or one of its patronymic derivatives (Homirou, Homiridis, etc.). This was not only the name of the ancient Greek epic poet (classical Greek Homeros), but was also borne by a martyr venerated in the Greek Orthodox Church. Slovenian: topographic name for someone who lived on a hill, from hom (dialect form of holm ‘hill’, ‘height’) + the German suffix -er denoting an inhabitant.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press