Primmer last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name Primmer is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Primmer.

Meaning of Primmer

A variant of the occupational surname "Primer", referring to one who made or sold primers for books.

Primmer, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Primmer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Primmer in America

Primmer is the 26189th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Primmer surname appeared 934 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Primmer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Primmer to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 26189 26361 -0.65%
Count 934 871 6.98%
Proportion per 100k 0.32 0.32 0.00%

The history of the last name Primmer

The surname Primmer originated in England, specifically in the county of Devon, during the late medieval period. It is thought to have derived from the Old English words "prem" or "pryme," which referred to a young or small shoot or sprout. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname, perhaps referring to a gardener or someone who worked with plants and horticulture.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Primmer can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Devon from 1242, where a certain Roger Primmer is mentioned. The name also appears in various tax records and manorial rolls from the 13th and 14th centuries, often spelled in various ways, such as Prymmer, Primer, or Prymor.

In the 16th century, the name Primmer was associated with the village of Primmerhay, which is located near the town of Axminster in Devon. This place name likely evolved from the combination of the surname Primmer and the Old English word "hæg," meaning an enclosed area or enclosure.

One notable individual with the surname Primmer was Sir William Primmer, a wealthy merchant and landowner who lived in the late 15th century. He was involved in the wool trade and owned several estates in Devon and Somerset.

Another significant figure was Matthew Primmer, born in 1620, who was a prominent Puritan minister and author in New England. He was one of the founders of the town of Malden, Massachusetts, and wrote several influential religious works.

In the 18th century, John Primmer, born in 1712, was a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War. He was known for his involvement in several important battles against the French.

During the 19th century, Thomas Primmer, born in 1824, was a successful businessman and industrialist in Birmingham, England. He owned several factories and was instrumental in the development of the city's metal-working industry.

Finally, one of the more recent noteworthy individuals with the surname Primmer was Henry Primmer, born in 1876, who was a renowned botanist and horticulturist. He was particularly known for his work in cultivating and hybridizing various species of roses, and several varieties bear his name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Primmer

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Primmer.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Primmer was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 91.43% 854
Non-Hispanic Black Only 3.75% 35
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.75% 7
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 2.89% 27
Hispanic Origin 1.18% 11

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Primmer has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 91.43% 92.65% -1.33%
Black 3.75% 3.79% -1.06%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.75% 0.57% 27.27%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Two or More Races 2.89% 1.95% 38.84%
Hispanic 1.18% 1.03% 13.57%

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Primmer was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Primmer, please contact us.

Reference this page

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"Primmer last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/primmer-surname-popularity/.

"Primmer last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/primmer-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Primmer last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/primmer-surname-popularity/.

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