BLOOMER
Bloomer is an English surname of occupational origin. It first appears in the medieval records of the British Isles and denotes a person associated with the making of blome – the Middle English word for flower – or, according to a parallel tradition, the production of iron blooms.
The name derives from the Middle English blome, meaning flower. It was likely employed as a nickname for an individual with an affinity for flowers or one who exhibited a blossoming personality. In some cases it may have been reserved for a florist or for someone who worked actively with flowers in some capacity.
Alternatively, the surname is regarded as a metonymic occupational name for a maker of blooms, an iron‑worker. This interpretation stems from the Old English bloma (pre-7th Century) and the Middle English blome, which referred to an ingot of iron. Hence, a Bloomer could originally signify a smith who forged iron blooms.
Documentation of the name dates back to the late twelfth century. The earliest recorded spelling is that of Anselm Blome, dated 1177 in the Pipe Rolls of Sussex during the reign of King Henry the Builder of Churches. In 1198, Walter Blome is noted in the Pipe Rolls of London; 1202 records William Blomere of Derbyshire; 1279 lists Robert le Blomere of Staffordshire; and 1379 names Johannes Blomere of Yorkshire. Other early entries include the 1582 marriage of Alyce Blome to Gabriell Kennett in Canterbury, Kent, and the 1691 christening of Thomas, son of John Bloom, at St. Botolph’s in Colchester, Essex.
The modern English noun bloom, for flower, entered the language from Old Norse blom in the thirteenth century; it is unlikely to have given rise to surnames, although the Ashkenazic ornamental name Blum (from Yiddish blum, flower) is occasionally Anglicised as Bloom. The relationship between the surname Bloomer and the floral meaning remains chiefly associated with the Middle English term for flower.
The granted coat of arms for the Bloom family features an azure shield with a silver dexter hand couped at the wrist. The crest consists of a cubit arm holding in the hand proper some slips of broom. This heraldic device further associates the family with industrious craft and the floral motif reflected in the surname.
In summary, the surname Bloomer evidences a dual occupational heritage: a connection to floral pursuits and to the iron industry. It exemplifies the early English practice of deriving surnames from the trades or distinguishing traits of an individual, a tradition that has rendered the name enduring within British genealogical records.
Typical given names associated with the Bloomer surname
Male
- Andrew
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Paul
- Peter
- Robert
- Stephen
- Steven
Female
- Christine
- Claire
- Denise
- Elizabeth
- Joan
- Joanne
- Lesley
- Lisa
- Margaret
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
- Wendy
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Bloomer in...
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There are approximately 1,849 people named Bloomer in the UK. That makes it roughly the 4,488th most common surname in Britain. Around 28 in a million people in Britain are named Bloomer.
Surname type: Occupational name
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Bloomer
- Steve Bloomer - Football player and manager (1874 to 1938)
- Matt Bloomer - Football player
- George Frost Bloomer - Composer (1858 to 1938)
- Jimmy Bloomer - Football player (1926 to 2011)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.