The Bloomer surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 4,231 people carried this name — #7,827 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 69,900 people counted. That is up 1% from 4,191 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Bloomer surname

A surname originating as an occupation.

From Middle English Blomer, from Middle English bloma (“ingot of iron”).

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Bloomer» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as an occupational name: ‘the bloomer’.

An early record he cites: Johannes Blomere, 1379 — Poll Tax, West Riding of Yorkshire.

His entry covers Bloomer, Blomer and Blumer.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 112 · public domain.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 6 births for the Bloomer name in 1890.

Most were registered in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 300 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “3 in Antrim and 2 in Tyrone.”

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born, 1890

Ulster 5
Leinster 1

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

25 families named Bloomer, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 135 people lived in those households, 5.4 to a family on average. The table counts it together with one other spelling. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

New York 21
Pennsylvania 2
Connecticut 1
North Carolina 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 230 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Bloomer in American newspapers,
1897–1924.

Newspaper page from The Neihart Herald carrying the name Bloomer
The Neihart Herald 1897-10-16
Newspaper page from River Falls Journal carrying the name Bloomer
River Falls Journal 1924-09-25

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 93,092 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Bloomer in Australian newspapers,
1850s–1980s.

4,995 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Bloomer. The most, 905, date from the 1930s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Queensland, at 2.0 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Queensland 1,936
New South Wales 1,655
Victoria 591
Western Australia 332
South Australia 304
Tasmania 145
ACT (Canberra) 20
Northern Territory 2

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Bloomer.

Who carried it

People named Bloomer,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Amelia Bloomer
    Amelia Bloomer 1818–1894 · writer
  • Steve Bloomer
    Steve Bloomer 1874–1938 · association football coach
  • Steve Bloomer
    Steve Bloomer 1874–1938 · association football coach
  • James Bloomer
    James Bloomer 1880–1963 · American football player
  • Boaz Bloomer 1801–
  • Samuel Bloomer 1835–1917 · soldier

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Bloomer,
in the records of 5 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States754 records

754 records of the Bloomer name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 273
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 167
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 97
  • New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 84
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 80
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 39
  • Irish Famine arrivals at New York, 1846–1851 10
  • U.S. service members who died in the Vietnam War 3
  • Sacramento County historic burials 1
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Robert C. Bloomer

    Born 1925 in Ohio. Enlisted 1945 at Cleveland; farmer from Fulton County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1991, buried at Zion Cemetery, Wauseon, Ohio.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Jerry Robert Bloomer

    Born 1939; from Anderson, Indiana. U.S. Army, metal worker; died in an accident 1966 in South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Sarah Bloomer

    Arrived at New York in 1850 aboard the John Fielden from Liverpool, aged 20; servant. From Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain)

Showing 3 of 754 records for Bloomer in the United States.

Counts: NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia174 records

174 records of the Bloomer name in Australia
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 68
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 67
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 19
  • Tasmanian Names Index 8
  • NSW convict, estate and railway indexes 7
  • State Library of Western Australia indexes 5
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record John Bloomer

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Minerva, sailing from Sheerness in 1838. Native of Birmingham, Warwickshire.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Henry Bloomer

    Arrived in Victoria in 1858 aboard the Tornado, aged 32; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Frank Bloomer

    Laborer of Minyip, Victoria; died 1915.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 174 records for Bloomer in Australia.

Counts: Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Canada13 records

13 records of the Bloomer name in Canada
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 6
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 3
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 2
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 1
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Melville Henry Bloomer

    Died 1940 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Mary Bloomer

    Died 1929; buried at Brookside Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record William Bloomer

    Died in service in 1915.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 13 records for Bloomer in Canada.

Counts: Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

United Kingdom6 records

6 records of the Bloomer name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 5
  • Welsh wills index cards 1
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Mary Catherine Bloomer

    Will proved in 1925; of Swansea, Glamorgan.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record A. Bloomer

    Duke of Wellington's Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record J. Bloomer

    Worcestershire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 6 records for Bloomer in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Netherlands4 records

4 records of the Bloomer name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 2
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 2
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Stephin Bloomer

    In the population register of Amsterdam; born 1874 in Derbij.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Amsterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record Ffijken Bloomer

    Baptised in 1684 in Arnhem.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Joseph Bloomer

    In a population register; born 1854 in Sint Eustatius.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 4 records for Bloomer in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Bloomer.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Bloomer is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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