LOOSEMORE
Loosemore is a surname of English origin that has its roots in Old English. The elements that form the name are los, meaning “loose” or “free”, and mor, meaning a marsh or fen. Consequently, the surname originally described a person who lived in or worked in an area characterised by marshland, or alternatively, indicated a free‑spirited or carefree nature of the individual.
Another possible derivation for the name incorporates the Old English Hlose, a term for a wild pig or boar, combined with mor. This version of the name has a purely habitational sense, reflecting the settlement’s proximity to a marshy plain frequented by game. The place names that echo this element include Lismore in Ireland, Lismore Island off the coast of Mull in Scotland, and a locality in Devonshire that has been recorded as Loosemoor. The existence of a modern farm called Hoosemoor in Devon supports the persistence of this toponymic element.
The earliest documented instance of the surname is found in the Crown Pleas of Devon, dated to 1249. The record refers to a person named Walter de Losemore and places the event within the reign of King Henry III, who reigned from 1216 to 1272 and was nicknamed “The Frenchman”. This signifies that the name was in use in the mid‑13th century and had already been inherited within a family line.
In the late sixteenth century, the surname appears in parish registers. John Loosemore is recorded as marrying Emote Gorton at Bishops Nympton, Devon, on the 18th of June 1563. In 1584, a John Lusmoore is listed in the registration of St. Margaret’s in Westminster where he was christened. These entries demonstrate that the name was well established in Devon and London during that period, and that it was adopted in various spellings across different records.
Throughout history the Loosemore surname has been associated with a small number of geographically dispersed family lines, most of which trace back to the rural marshes of Devon and the surrounding counties. The name’s connection to both natural habitats and, in some interpretations, to the characteristics of its bearers, gives it a uniquely descriptive character within English onomastic studies.
Typical given names associated with the Loosemore surname
Male
- Andrew
- Anthony
- Christopher
- David
- Ian
- James
- John
- Mark
- Martin
- Michael
- Mike
- Peter
- Robert
- Stephen
- William
Female
- Anne
- Christine
- Elizabeth
- Julie
- Kim
- Lisa
- Mary
- Michelle
- Patricia
- Rachel
- Sarah
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 Loosemore in...
Braille
⠇⠕⠕⠎⠑⠍⠕⠗⠑
Morse
.-..------....-----.-..
Semaphore
There are approximately 816 people named Loosemore in the UK. That makes it roughly the 8,637th most common surname in Britain. Around 13 in a million people in Britain are named Loosemore.
