Mortimer () is an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

surname In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community. Practices vary by culture. The family name may be placed at either the start of a person's full name ...

, and a

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a fa ...

(see Mortimer (given name)).

Norman origins

The surname Mortimer has a

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...

origin, deriving from the village of Mortemer,

Seine-Maritime Seine-Maritime () is a department of France in the Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the northern coast of France, at the mouth of the Seine, and includes the cities of Rouen and Le Havre. Until 1955 it was named Seine-Inféri ...

, Normandy. A Norman castle existed at Mortemer from an early point; one 11th century figure associated with the castle was Roger, lord of Mortemer, who fought in the

Battle of Mortemer The Battle of Mortemer was a defeat for Henry I of France when he led an army against his vassal, William the Bastard, Duke of Normandy in 1054. William was eventually to become known as William the Conqueror after his successful invasion and c ...

in 1054. The 12th century abbey of Mortemer at

Lisors Lisors () is a commune in the Eure department in Normandy in northern France. Mortemer Abbey is located on the territory of the commune. Population Economy and Infrastructure There is a public primary school and a butchery in Lisors. The c ...

near

Lyons-la-Forêt Lyons-la-Forêt () is a commune of the Eure department, Normandy, in northwest France. Lyons-la-Forêt has distinctive historical geography, and architecture, and contemporary culture, as a consequence of the Forest of Lyons, and its bocage, and of ...

is assumed to share the same etymological origin, and was granted to the Cistercian order by Henry II in the 1180s. According to the toponymists

Albert Dauzat Albert Dauzat (; 4 July 1877 – 31 October 1955) was a French linguist specializing in toponymy and onomastics. Dauzat, a student of Jules Gilliéron, was a director of studies at the École des hautes études. Works * ''L'argot des poilus; di ...

and later, François de Beaurepaire, there are two possible explanations for such a place name:

First, a small pond must have already existed before the land was given to the monks and have already been called ''Mortemer'' like the two other ''Mortemers'', because the word ''mer'' "pond" was not used anymore beyond the Xth century. This word is only attested in North-Western France and of
Frankish Frankish may refer to: * Franks, a Germanic tribe and their culture ** Frankish language or its modern descendants, Franconian languages * Francia, a post-Roman state in France and Germany * East Francia, the successor state to Francia in Germany ...
or
Saxon The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic * * * * peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...
origin ''mari/meri'' "
mere Mere may refer to: Places * Mere, Belgium, a village in East Flanders * Mere, Cheshire, England * Mere, Wiltshire, England People * Mere Broughton (1938–2016), New Zealand Māori language activist and unionist * Mere Smith, American televisi ...
", "lake"; ''mort(e)'' "dead" is also quite common to mean "stagnant" (in
Port-Mort Port-Mort () is a commune in the Eure department in Normandy in northern France. Population See also *Communes of the Eure department The following is a list of the 585 communes of the Eure department of France. The communes cooperate i ...
"the port with stagnant water",
Morteau Morteau () is a commune, in the Doubs department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region, eastern France. 300px, The road of Doubs_(river).html"_;"title="Villers-le-Lac_(D215)_along_the_Doubs_(river)">Villers-le-Lac_(D215)_along_the_Doubs_(river) ...
"dead water", etc.).François de Beaurepaire, ''Les noms des communes et anciennes paroisses de la Seine-Maritime'', éditions Picard, 1979, p. 113 . Second, the monks could have given the name ''Mortemer'' to their drainage lake to remember the other Mortemer for any kind of reason we don't know, making a pun at the same time with ''Mer Morte'' "
Dead Sea The Dead Sea ( he, יַם הַמֶּלַח, ''Yam hamMelaḥ''; ar, اَلْبَحْرُ الْمَيْتُ, ''Āl-Baḥrū l-Maytū''), also known by other names, is a salt lake bordered by Jordan to the east and Israel and the West Bank ...
".

Medieval magnates

In the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

, the Mortimers became a powerful dynasty of

Marcher Lord A Marcher lord () was a noble appointed by the king of England to guard the border (known as the Welsh Marches) between England and Wales. A Marcher lord was the English equivalent of a margrave (in the Holy Roman Empire) or a marquis (in F ...

s in the

Welsh Marches The Welsh Marches ( cy, Y Mers) is an imprecisely defined area along the border between England and Wales in the United Kingdom. The precise meaning of the term has varied at different periods. The English term Welsh March (in Medieval Latin ...

, first as barons of

Wigmore Castle Wigmore Castle is a ruined castle about from the village of Wigmore, Herefordshire, Wigmore in the northwest region of Herefordshire, England. History Wigmore Castle was founded after the Norman conquest of England, Norman Conquest, probabl ...

Herefordshire Herefordshire () is a county in the West Midlands of England, governed by Herefordshire Council. It is bordered by Shropshire to the north, Worcestershire to the east, Gloucestershire to the south-east, and the Welsh counties of Monmouthshire ...

and later as

Earl of March Earl of March is a title that has been created several times in the Peerage of Scotland and the Peerage of England. The title derived from the "marches" or borderlands between England and either Wales (Welsh Marches) or Scotland (Scottish Marche ...

from 1328 to 1425. Through marriage, the Mortimers came close to the English throne during the reign of

Richard II Richard II (6 January 1367 – ), also known as Richard of Bordeaux, was King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. He was the son of Edward the Black Prince, Prince of Wales, and Joan, Countess of Kent. Richard's father died ...

, though their royal claim was ignored after Richard II's deposition by his cousin

Henry of Bolingbroke Henry IV ( April 1367 – 20 March 1413), also known as Henry Bolingbroke, was King of England from 1399 to 1413. He asserted the claim of his grandfather King Edward III, a maternal grandson of Philip IV of France, to the Kingdom of Fran ...

in 1399. The Mortimer claims were later inherited by the

House of York The House of York was a cadet branch of the English royal House of Plantagenet. Three of its members became kings of England in the late 15th century. The House of York descended in the male line from Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, ...

, which claimed the throne upon the Earl of March

Edward IV Edward IV (28 April 1442 – 9 April 1483) was King of England from 4 March 1461 to 3 October 1470, then again from 11 April 1471 until his death in 1483. He was a central figure in the Wars of the Roses, a series of civil wars in England ...

's victory in the

Battle of Towton The Battle of Towton took place on 29 March 1461 during the Wars of the Roses, near Towton in North Yorkshire, and "has the dubious distinction of being probably the largest and bloodiest battle on English soil". Fought for ten hours between a ...

, 1461. Members of the noble Mortimer family included: *

Ranulph de Mortimer Ranulph I de Mortimer (''Ralf'', ''Ralph'', ''Raoul de Mortemer'') (born before c. 1070–died in/after 1104) was a Marcher Lord from the Montgomery lands in the Welsh Marches (border lands between Wales and England). In England, he was Lord of Wi ...

, Lord of Wigmore, Herefordshire and Seigneur of St Victor-en-Caux,

, Normandy *

Hugh de Mortimer Hugh de Mortimer (c. 1100 – 26 February 1180/81) was a Norman English medieval lord. Lineage The son of Ranulph de Mortimer, he was Lord of Wigmore Castle, Stratfield Mortimer, Cleobury Mortimer and at times, Bridgnorth, Bishop's Castle and ...

, Lord of Wigmore * Roger Mortimer, Lord of Wigmore *

Ralph de Mortimer Ranulph or Ralph de Mortimer (before 1198 to 6 August 1246) was the second son of Roger de Mortimer and Isabel de Ferrers of Wigmore Castle in Herefordshire. He succeeded his elder brother before 23 November 1227 and built Cefnllys and Knuckla ...

, Lord of Wigmore *

Roger Mortimer, 1st Baron Mortimer Roger Mortimer, 1st Baron Mortimer of Wigmore (1231 – 27 October 1282), of Wigmore Castle in Herefordshire, was a marcher lord who was a loyal ally of King Henry III of England and at times an enemy, at times an ally, of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, ...

(1231–1282) **

Isabella Mortimer, Countess of Arundel Isabella Mortimer, Lady of Clun and Oswestry (born after 1247; died before 1 April 1292''Calendar of Fine Rolls,'' 1272-1307, p. 309) was a noblewoman and a member of an important and powerful Welsh Marcher family. Although often overshadowed ...

(after 1247–before 1 April 1292/after 1300) *

Edmund Mortimer, 2nd Baron Mortimer Edmund Mortimer, 2nd Baron Mortimer of Wigmore (c. 1251 – 17 July 1304) was the second son and eventual heir of Roger Mortimer, 1st Baron Mortimer of Wigmore. His mother was Maud de Braose. Life As a younger son, Edmund had been intended for c ...

(1251–1304) *

Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March Roger Mortimer, 3rd Baron Mortimer of Wigmore, 1st Earl of March (25 April 1287 – 29 November 1330), was an English nobleman and powerful Marcher Lord who gained many estates in the Welsh Marches and Ireland following his advantageous marri ...

(1287–1330) **

Edmund Mortimer (1302–1331) Sir Edmund Mortimer (1302/1303 – 16 December 1331) was the eldest son of Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March, and Joan de Geneville, 2nd Baroness Geneville. By his wife Elizabeth de Badlesmere he was the father of Roger Mortimer, 2nd Earl of Mar ...

Katherine Mortimer, Countess of Warwick Katherine Mortimer, Countess of Warwick (1314 – 4 August 1369) was the wife of Thomas de Beauchamp, 11th Earl of Warwick KG, an English peer, and military commander during the Hundred Years War. She was a daughter and co-heiress of Roger Mor ...

(1314–1369) **

Agnes Mortimer, Countess of Pembroke Agnes Mortimer, Countess of Pembroke (1317 – 25 July 1368) was the wife of Laurence Hastings, 1st Earl of Pembroke. She was a daughter of Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March and Joan de Geneville, Baroness Geneville. Family Agnes Mortimer was o ...

(1317–1368) *

Roger Mortimer, 2nd Earl of March Sir Roger de Mortimer, 2nd Earl of March, 4th Baron Mortimer of Wigmore, KG (11 November 132826 February 1360) was an English nobleman and military commander during the Hundred Years' War. He was the son of Sir Edmund Mortimer (d. 1331) and ...

(1328–1360) *

Thomas Mortimer Sir Thomas Mortimer (c. 1350–1399) was a medieval English soldier and statesman who served briefly in several important administrative and judicial state offices in Ireland and played a part in the opposition to the government of King Richard ...

(c. 1350–1399), illegitimate member of the Mortimer family who opposed Richard II *

Edmund Mortimer, 3rd Earl of March Edmund de Mortimer, 3rd Earl of March and ''jure uxoris'' Earl of Ulster (1 February 135227 December 1381) was the son of Roger Mortimer, 2nd Earl of March, by his wife Philippa, daughter of William Montagu, 1st Earl of Salisbury and Catherine Gr ...

(1352–1381) ** Edmund Mortimer (1376–1409) *

Roger Mortimer, 4th Earl of March Roger de Mortimer, 4th Earl of March, 6th Earl of Ulster (11 April 137420 July 1398) was an English nobleman. He was considered the heir presumptive to King Richard II, his mother's first cousin. Roger Mortimer's father, the 3rd Earl of Marc ...

(1374–1398) *

Edmund Mortimer, 5th Earl of March Edmund Mortimer, 5th Earl of March, 7th Earl of Ulster (6 November 139118 January 1425), was an English nobleman and a potential claimant to the throne of England. A great-great-grandson of King Edward III of England, he was heir presumptive to ...

(1391–1425)

Other people

* Amanda Jay Mortimer (born 1944), American urban planner and consultant *

Angela Mortimer Florence Angela Margaret Mortimer Barrett, MBE (née Mortimer; born 21 April 1932) is a British former world No. 1 tennis player. Mortimer won three Grand Slam singles titles: the 1955 French Championships, the 1958 Australian Championships, an ...

(born 1932), British tennis player *

Bob Mortimer Robert Renwick Mortimer (born 23 May 1959) is an English comedian, podcast presenter and actor. He is known for his work with Vic Reeves as part of their Vic and Bob comedy double act, and more recently the '' Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing ...

(born 1959), English comedian and actor *

Carole Mortimer Carole Mortimer (born 1960 in England) is a popular British writer of over 150 romance novels since 1978. She was one of Mills & Boon's youngest authors, and now is one of their most popular and prolific authors. Biography Carole Mortimer was b ...

(born 1960), English romance novelist *

Chris Mortimer Chris Mortimer (born 19 August 1959 in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s for the Canterbury-Bankstown, Penrith, New South Wales and for the Aus ...

(born 1958), Australian rugby league footballer *

Conor Mortimer Conor Mortimer (born 23 May 1982) is a Gaelic football manager and former player. He was a corner forward and has played at senior level for the Mayo county team, Connacht provincial team in the Railway Cup and club football for Shrule-Glenc ...

, Irish Gaelic football player *

Daniel Mortimer Daniel Mortimer (born 13 June 1989) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who last played as a or for the Leigh Centurions in the Betfred Championship. He previously played for the Parramatta Eels, Gold Coast Titans, Sy ...

(born 1989), Australian rugby league footballer *

Debra Mortimer Debra Sue Mortimer is an Australian judge. She was born in New Zealand but has practised law in Australia. She has been a judge of the Federal Court of Australia since 2013, having previously been a Senior Counsel practising at the Victorian Bar ...

, Australian judge *

Edmund Mortimer (actor) Edmund Mortimer (born Edmund Mortimer Olson; August 21, 1874 – May 21, 1944) was an American actor and film director. Early years Mortimer's family was "prominent socially in Brooklyn and Washington". His father (also named Edmund Mo ...

(1874–1944), American actor and film director *

Emily Mortimer Emily Kathleen Anne Mortimer (born 6 October 1971) is a British-American actress. She began acting in stage productions and has since appeared in several film and television roles. In 2003, she won an Independent Spirit Award for her performance ...

(born 1971), English actress *

Favell Lee Mortimer Favell Lee Mortimer, born Favell Lee Bevan (14 July 1802 – 22 August 1878) was a British Evangelical author of educational books for children. Early life Favell Lee Bevan was born on 14 July 1802 at Russell Square in London, England. She was ...

(1802–1878), English Evangelical author of educational books for children *

Frank Mortimer Frank Mortimer (23 February 1932 – 4 March 2009) was an English professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s and 1960s. He played at representative level for Great Britain and Yorkshire, and at club level for Streethouse ARLF ...

(1932–2009), English rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s and 1960s *

Gary Mortimer Gary Mortimer (born 1967 in Bristol, England) is a British journalist, balloonist, and drone aviator. He serves as editor of ''sUAS News,'' an unmanned aviation news website. He is a hot air balloon pilot and current holder of the South African ...

(born 1967), English aeronaut *

George Ferris Whidborne Mortimer George Ferris Whidborne Mortimer (22 July 1805 – 7 September 1871) was an English schoolmaster and divine. Biography Mortimer was born on 22 July 1805 at Bishopsteignton in Devonshire, was the eldest son of William Mortimer, a country gentlema ...

(1805–1871), English schoolmaster and divine * Ian Mortimer (born 1983), Canadian sprint canoeist *

Ian Mortimer (historian) Ian James Forrester Mortimer, (born 22 September 1967) is a British historian and writer of historical fiction. He is best known for his book '' The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England'', which became a ''Sunday Times'' bestseller in pa ...

(born 1967), British writer *

James Mortimer James Mortimer may refer to: * James Mortimer (chess player) (1833–1911), American/British chess player, journalist, and playwright * James Mortimer (dogshow judge) (1842–1915), British dogshow judge * Jim Mortimer (1921–2013), British trade u ...

(1833–1911), American chess player, journalist and playwright *

James Mortimer (hurdler) Allan Mortimer (born 1 September 1977) is a Bahamian Triple Jumper and 3rd Degree Blackbelt in Karate and Jujitsu. He competed at the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games, where he finished 3rd in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. He was the Black belt champ ...

(born 1983), New Zealand hurdler *

Jill Mortimer Jillian Wendy Mortimer (née Sowerby; born 20 March 1965) is a British Conservative Party politician serving as Member of Parliament (MP) for Hartlepool since 2021. Personal life Mortimer was born Jillian Wendy Sowerby on 20 March 1965 in Lee ...

(elected 2021), British Conservative politician, MP for Hartlepool *

John Mortimer Sir John Clifford Mortimer (21 April 1923 – 16 January 2009) was a British barrister, dramatist, screenwriter and author. He is best known for novels about a barrister named Horace Rumpole. Early life Mortimer was born in Hampstead, London, ...

(c. 1656 – 1736), English agriculturalist *

(1923–2009), British barrister, dramatist, screenwriter and author *

John B. Mortimer John Barry Mortimer, GBS, SPMB, OBE, QC (; born 1931) is a British barrister who has held senior judicial appointments in Hong Kong and Brunei Darussalam. Early life and education Mortimer was born in the United Kingdom in 1931. He was edu ...

, Hong Kong judge *

John Hamilton Mortimer John Hamilton Mortimer (17 September 1740 – 4 February 1779) was a British figure and landscape painter and printmaker, known for romantic paintings set in Italy, works depicting conversations, and works drawn in the 1770s portraying war ...

(1740–1779), British painter *

John Robert Mortimer John Robert Mortimer (15 June 1825 – 19 August 1911) was an English corn-merchant and archaeologist who lived in Driffield, East Riding of Yorkshire. He was responsible for the excavation of many of the notable barrows in the Yorkshire Wolds ...

(1825–1911), Yorkshire corn merchant and archaeologist *

Kenneth Mortimer Kenneth P. Mortimer is a scholar who was president of Western Washington University from 1988 to 1993, and the eleventh president of the University of Hawaiʻi system and chancellor of the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa from 1993 to 2001. He rece ...

, President Emeritus of Western Washington University, eleventh president of the University of Hawai`i system and Chancellor of the University of Hawai`i at Manoa 1993–2001 *

Maddie Mortimer Maddie Mortimer (born 1966) is a British novelist. Writing Mortimer has described her first novel, ''Maps of our spectacular bodies'', as "an elegy to my mum and to our relationship". Her mother died of cancer in 2010 and the book centres on th ...

(born 1966), British writer *

Mary Mortimer Mary Mortimer (December 2, 1816 – July 14, 1877) was a British-born American educator. She served as principal of the Milwaukee Female College and other women's educational institutions. When just a child, Mortimer and her family emigrated fro ...

(1816–1877), British-born American educator *

Minnie Mortimer Marian Fountain "Minnie" Mortimer (born 1980) is an American fashion designer and socialite. Early life Born on Manhattan's Upper East side, Mortimer is the daughter of Senga Clark Mucci Davis and financier John Jay Mortimer, and the granddaught ...

(born 1980), American fashion designer and socialite *

Richard Mortimer Richard Mortimer (April 24, 1852 – March 15, 1918) was an American real estate investor and society leader during the Gilded Age. Early life Mortimer was born in New York City on April 24, 1852. He was the son of William Yates Mortimer (1824– ...

(1852–1918), American real estate investor and society leader *

Roger Mortimer (racing) Major Roger Francis Mortimer (22 November 1909 – November 1991), was an English horse-racing correspondent, Coldstream Guards officer, prisoner of war, and author. Son of Haliburton Stanley Mortimer (1879-1957), of 11 Cadogan Gardens, Che ...

(1909–1991), British horse-racing correspondent *

Steve Mortimer Stephen Charles Mortimer (born 15 July 1956), also nicknamed "Turvey", is an Australian former rugby league footballer who played as a . Mortimer played a Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs club record 272 first-grade games between 1976–88, winni ...

(born 1956), Australian rugby league footballer *

(1730–1810), English writer in the field of economics *

Tinsley Mortimer Tinsley Randolph Mortimer (née Mercer; born August 11, 1975) is an American socialite and television personality. She is known for starring in the reality television series ''High Society'' and ''The Real Housewives of New York City''. Early l ...

(born 1976), American socialite *

Tony Mortimer Anthony Michael Mortimer (born 21 October 1970 in Stepney, London) is a British singer, songwriter and record producer from London. He is a former member of the boy band East 17, who were originally active from 1991 to 1997 and sold over 20 mill ...

(born 1970), British songwriter, composer, singer and rapper; member of British 1990s pop group East 17

Fictional characters

* Colonel Douglas Mortimer, played by

Lee Van Cleef Clarence LeRoy Van Cleef Jr. (January 9, 1925 – December 16, 1989) was an American actor. He appeared in over 170 film and television roles in a career spanning nearly 40 years, but is best known as a star of Italian Spaghetti Westerns, partic ...

in the film ''

For a Few Dollars More ''For a Few Dollars More'' ( it, Per qualche dollaro in più) is a 1965 Spaghetti Western film directed by Sergio Leone. It stars Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef as bounty hunters and Gian Maria Volonté as the primary villain. German actor K ...

'' * Dr. Mortimer, in the

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...

novel ''

The Hound of the Baskervilles ''The Hound of the Baskervilles'' is the third of the four crime novels by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle featuring the detective Sherlock Holmes. Originally serialised in ''The Strand Magazine'' from August 1901 to April 1902, it is set i ...

'' by Sir

Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for ''A Study in Scarlet'', the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Ho ...

* Ignatius Mortimer Meen, the villain in the 1995 video game ''

I.M. Meen ''I.M. Meen'' is a 1995 fantasy educational game for DOS to teach grammar to children. It is named for its villain, Ignatius Mortimer Meen, a "diabolical librarian" who lures young readers into an enchanted labyrinth and imprisons them with monste ...

'' * Lord Mortimer, played by

Billy House William H. Comstock (May 7, 1889 – September 23, 1961), known by his stage name Billy House, was an American vaudevillian, Broadway performer and feature film actor. After devoting most of his career to live performance, he moved to Hollywood ...

in the 1946 film '' Bedlam'' * Philip Mortimer, a protagonist in ''

Blake and Mortimer ''Blake and Mortimer'' is a Belgian comics series created by the writer and comics artist Edgar P. Jacobs. It was one of the first series to appear in the Franco-Belgian comics magazine ''Tintin'' in 1946, and was subsequently published in book ...

'', a Belgian comics series created by Edgar P. Jacobs

References

{{surnames English-language surnames Surnames of Norman origin