The Mortimer surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 5,521 people carried this name — #6,195 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 53,500 people counted. That is up 3% from 5,358 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Mortimer surname

A British surname from Old French.

A habitational surname from Mortemer in France, from Old Northern French, literally meaning “dead pond”.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Mortimer» (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 a local name, from where the family lived: ‘de Mortimer’.

An early record he cites: Ralph de Mortimer, Lincolnshire, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

His entry covers Mortimer and Mortimore.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 541 · public domain.

In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 21 people named Mortimer.

Most of them — 17 — were born outside France. Those born in France came from 1 département, most often Seine-Maritime.

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

Where they were born

Born outside France 17
Seine-Maritime 4

Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.

In the Nordic population registers

41 people named Mortimer is counted in Sweden.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 41

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Mortimer was found among the farmers of 2 counties.

It was most frequent in Devon: 20 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 500. Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Devon 20
Yorkshire, North and East Ridings 10

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In Scotland’s registers today

Mortimer was recorded 33 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 744th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 20. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In print

Mortimer in American newspapers,
1891–1901.

Newspaper page from The Colfax Chronicle carrying the name Mortimer
The Colfax Chronicle 1891-06-27
Newspaper page from The Southern Herald carrying the name Mortimer
The Southern Herald 1901-07-12
Newspaper page from St. Landry Clarion carrying the name Mortimer
St. Landry Clarion 1901-07-06

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 5,075 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Mortimer in Australian newspapers,
1820s–2000s.

49,309 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Mortimer. The most, 7,636, date from the 1930s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in South Australia, at 1.6 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 18,012
Victoria 10,912
South Australia 9,522
Queensland 5,859
Western Australia 3,385
Tasmania 1,244
ACT (Canberra) 232
Northern Territory 47

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

Who carried it

People named Mortimer,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Hugh Mortimer d. 1416 · politician
  • John Mortimer d. 1446 · politician
  • Hugh de Mortimer d. 1185 · military personnel
  • William James Mortimer d. 2010 · publisher
  • Sarah Mortimer d. 1859
  • Geraldeen Mortimer d. 2015

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Mortimer,
in the records of 8 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 States1,162 records

1,162 records of the Mortimer name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 356
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 279
  • Other U.S. records 527
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Harold D. Mortimer

    Born 1921 in Maine. Enlisted 1942 at Portland; textile mill worker from Sagadahoc County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1995, buried at Maine Veterans' Memorial Cemetery, Augusta, Maine.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Jane Mortimer

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the Germanic from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 30; servant. From Cork, Ireland; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Edward Lewis Mortimer

    Born 1949; from Baltimore, Maryland. U.S. Army, utility/observation helicopter pilot; died of wounds 1971 in Binh Duong, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 1,162 records for Mortimer in the United States.

Counts: NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · 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); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Australia1,178 records

1,178 records of the Mortimer name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 582
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 179
  • Other Australian records 417
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Alfred Mortimer

    Died 1902 in Tasmania, aged 50. Will registered in Tasmania in 1902.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. 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 Thomas Mortimer

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Royal Admiral, arriving 1830; ticket of leave 1837. Native of Buckinghamshire.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Jane Mortimer

    Arrived in Victoria in 1857 aboard the Sabrina, aged 14; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 1,178 records for Mortimer in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (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) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); 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).

Canada164 records

164 records of the Mortimer name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 78
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 24
  • Other Canadian records 62
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Jno Mortimer

    Came to Ontario in 1875 aboard the Hibernian, landing at Portland, bound for Hamilton, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Charles Henry Mortimer

    Buried in 1968 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 75.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Eliza Jane Mortimer

    Died 1937 in Sydney, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 164 records for Mortimer in Canada.

Counts: 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. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

United Kingdom82 records

82 records of the Mortimer name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 53
  • Stirling Council burial records 11
  • Other British records 18
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record Hector Mortimer

    Born 1892 at Aberdeen. Served in the First World War. Named in the University of Aberdeen roll of service in the Great War, 1914-1919.

    National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Mortimer

    Buried in 1916 at Ballengeich Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland, aged 77.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record George Harry Mortimer

    Will proved in 1929; of Rhyl, Flint.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)

Showing 3 of 82 records for Mortimer in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0); Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

New Zealand38 records

38 records of the Mortimer name in New Zealand
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 18
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 17
  • Other New Zealand records 3
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Lester George Neal Mortimer

    Died 1952, aged 33; buried at Omaka Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Harriet Mortimer

    Died 1932, aged 82; buried at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Percival Major Mortimer

    Buried in 1946 at Totara Memorial Park Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 64.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 38 records for Mortimer in New Zealand.

Counts: Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Ireland12 records

12 records of the Mortimer name in Ireland County Galway graveyard records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Michael Mortimer

    Died 1999, aged 67; buried at Banogues, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Bridget Mortimer

    Died 1980, aged 68; buried at Toreena, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Bridget Mortimer

    Died 1965; buried at Ballinakill, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 12 records for Mortimer in Ireland.

Counts: Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

France4 records

4 records of the Mortimer name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Jean Georges Raymond Mortimer

    Born 1920 in Le Petit-Quevilly; died 1998 in Le Petit-Quevilly (Seine-Maritime).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Mark Patterson Mortimer

    Born 1918 in Great Britain; died 1995 in Boulogne-Billancourt (Hauts-de-Seine).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 2 of 4 records for Mortimer in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Netherlands2 records

2 records of the Mortimer name in the Netherlands Dutch population registers
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register James Frederick Mortimer

    In the population register of Leeuwarden; born 1920.

    Open Archives, AlleFriezen (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register John Hugh Mortimer

    In a population register.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Mortimer.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Mortimer 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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