Orme Genealogy

Introduction | Origins | Rune-stones
Icelandic Sagas | Europe | Famous Ormes
Heraldry | Place Names | Related Surnames

Related Surnames

Today's Roman Alphabet has more letters than the Runic Futhark, so translating the Runic version of our name can produce an interesting variety of names. Here are some that are in current use:

Aam, Arm, Arme, Armer, Oram, Orem, Orm, Ormar, Ormarr, Orme, Ormer, Ormur, Oromer, Orram, Orrem, Orrum, Orum, Urm, Urme, Urmer, Urrum.

People who spoke Irish Gaelic (Erse) commonly added an 'H' to our name, thus creating Horm, Hormar, etc.

To these we can add names meaning 'Orme's son':

Fitzorm, Fitzorme, Ormes, Ormesen, Ormeson, Ormessen, Ormesson, Ormison, Ormisson, Ormsen, Ormson.

... and not forgetting 'Orme's daughter':

Ormesdater, Ormesdattir, Ormesdöttir, Ormsdater, Ormsdattir, Ormsdöttir.

... or 'Orme's family':

Ormesaet, Ormset, Ormsett.

The following surnames derive from place names:

Orme's Clearing:
Ormarode, Ormaroyd, Ormathwaite, Ormerod, Ormerode, Ormrod, Ormroyd, Ormthwaite.

Orme's Farm:
Ormesbee, Ormsbee, Ormesby, Ormsby.

Orme's Field:
Ormesley, Ormesly, Ormsley, Ormsly.

Orme's Settlement:
Ormeston, Ormiston, Ormston, Ormstone, Urmiston, Urmston.

Orme's Hunting Ground:
Ormsher.

In Germanic countries, our name sometimes begins with a 'W' , as in Worm, Wormar, etc. and sometimes begins with Aa as in Aam (which is pronounced Orme).

In Scotland, most of the above names can be prefixed with Mac or Mc - meaning 'son of' - this gives names such as McOrmesson (son of Ormes son). These variants are very rare, but there are some.

Mysteries

There are still some mystery names such as Ormonde and Ormeau. They are both place names in Ireland and surnames, but what do they mean? 'Eau' and 'onde' are French words meaning water and wave, but why should French words be used in Ireland in conjunction with Orm - perhaps the Normans were responsible for it?

The greatest mystery has been kept until last. In India there are Asian families named Orme and the names Verma and Vermar (as the name Orme was written in Latin) are also used. Does this suggest that Norsemen had a settlement in India, or is it a consequence of British influence when India was part of the British Empire, or perhaps even evidence that the name Orme existed before the migration of Eurasian tribes from the East and the development of Asian and Caucasian races?