Mortimer Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Mortimer last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Mortimer coat of arms for you.
Meaning and origin of the Mortimer last name
Meaning of the Mortimer last name: dead sea (marsh). Mortimer is an English surname from Mortemer in Normandy, from Old French mort, "dead", and mer, "sea", for a stagnant marsh. The Mortimers were Marcher lords of Wigmore. Roger Mortimer seized power in 1327 with Queen Isabella. The last name later became a common given name.
Arms associated with the Mortimer name
Heraldry associated with the Mortimer surname uses a few strong colours, and each coat of arms has its own blazon.
Get your full Mortimer family history
This is only a glimpse of the Mortimer story. The full Mortimer history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Mortimer coat of arms. Get the full Mortimer report.
Mortimer name FAQ
What does the Mortimer name mean?
Dead sea (marsh). Common variants include Mortimor, Mortymer.
Where does the Mortimer surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Is there a Mortimer coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Mortimer coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).