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English: nickname from Middle English palmer(e) ‘palmer pilgrim to the Holy Land’ (Anglo-Norman French palmer Old French pa(l)mer paum(i)er) so called from the palm branch carried by such pilgrims. The term was also used to denote an itinerant monk who traveled from shrine to shrine under a vow of poverty. This surname is also common in Ireland where it has been recorded from the 13th century onward. Irish: when not of English origin (see 1 above) a surname adopted for Gaelic Ó Maolfhoghmhair (see Milford ) the name of an ecclesiastical family. Swedish (mainly Palmér): ornamental name formed with palm ‘palm tree’ + the suffix -ér (a derivative of Latin -erius) or -er (from German). German: topographic name for someone living among pussy willows (see Palm ). German: from the personal name Palm.
Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022