This most interesting and unusual surname has two possible origins. Its most likely source is that it is a variant of "Aymer", which itself derives from either the Olde English pre 7th Century personal name "Aethelmaer" (Middle English "Ailmar"), composed of the elements "aethel", noble, plus "-maer", famous; or from some minor spot so called in Scotland, as is evidenced by the appearance of the names Emmed de'Ailmer and Robert de Almere in Selkirk in 1296, according to Medieval Scottish records. However, in some instances, Amer may be a variant of Amor, from the medieval nickname given to a lovable person, or the given name "Amor", from the Latin "amor", to love, which was popular in Spain, Italy and France, and was introduced into England by the Normans after the Conquest of 1066. The personal name is found as "Eymer" (Cambridgeshire, 1260) and "Aymar" in the "Gascon Calendar" (1298), while the surname itself is first recorded in the late 12th Century (see below). Other early examples include the marriage of John Amore and Katherine Fisher on September 26th 1541, at Harrietsham in Kent, and the marriage of Elizabeth Amer and Daniel Carr on January 29th 1655, at St. Stephen's, Coleman Street, London. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Philip Aimer, which was dated 1180, in the "Pipe Rolls of Essex", during the reign of King Henry 11, known as "The Builder of Churches", 1154 - 1189. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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