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{{other uses}}
{{other uses}}


'''Mortimer''' is an [[English language|English]] [[surname]], and occasionally a [[given name]].
'''Mortimer''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|m|ɔː|ɹ|t|ɪ|m|ə|ɹ|}}) is an [[English language|English]] [[surname]], and a [[given name]] (see [[Mortimer (given name)]]).


==Norman origins==
== Norman origins ==
The surname Mortimer has a [[Normans|Norman]] origin, deriving from the village of [[Mortemer, Seine-Maritime|Mortemer]], [[Seine-Maritime]], 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]] in 1054.<ref>C. P. Lewis, ''Mortimer Roger'' (I) de ([[Floruit|fl.]] 1054-c. 1080) in ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004.</ref> The name derives from the latin words "mort" meaning die and "mer" meaning sea, and presumably related to the stagnant water of the marshland that existed in the [[Pays de Bray]] region of Normandy in the Early Middle Ages.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Mortimer History|url=https://mortimerhistory.com/medieval-mortimers|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=|website=}}</ref> The 12th century [[Mortemer Abbey|abbey of Mortemer]] at [[Lisors]] near [[Lyons-la-Forêt]] is assumed to share the same etymological origin, and was granted to the Cistercian order by Henry II in the 1180s. According to the 17th century writer François de Beaurepaire, there were two possible explanations for such a place name:
The surname Mortimer has a [[Normans|Norman]] origin, deriving from the village of [[Mortemer, Seine-Maritime|Mortemer]], [[Seine-Maritime]], 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]] in 1054.<ref>C. P. Lewis, ''Mortimer Roger'' (I) de ([[Floruit|fl.]] 1054-c. 1080) in ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004.</ref> The 12th century [[Mortemer Abbey|abbey of Mortemer]] at [[Lisors]] near [[Lyons-la-Forêt]] 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]] and later, François de Beaurepaire, there are two possible explanations for such a place name:


<blockquote>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 language|Frankish]] or [[Old Saxon|Saxon]] origin ''mari/meri'' "[[mere (lake)|mere]]", "lake" (in [[Cambremer]], Blingemer, etc.); ''mort(e)'' "dead" is also quite common to mean "stagnant" (in [[Port-Mort]] "the port with stagnant water", [[Morteau]] "dead water", etc.).<ref>François de Beaurepaire, ''Les noms des communes et anciennes paroisses de la Seine-Maritime'', éditions Picard, 1979. {{ISBN|2-7084-0040-1}}.</ref> Second, the monks could have given the name ''Mortemer'' to their drainage lake to remember the other [[Mortemer, Seine-Maritime|Mortemer]] for any kind of reason we don't know, making a pun at the same time with ''Mer Morte'' "[[Dead Sea]]".
<blockquote>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 language|Frankish]] or [[Old Saxon|Saxon]] origin ''mari/meri'' "[[mere (lake)|mere]]", "lake"; ''mort(e)'' "dead" is also quite common to mean "stagnant" (in [[Port-Mort]] "the port with stagnant water", [[Morteau]] "dead water", etc.).<ref>François de Beaurepaire, ''Les noms des communes et anciennes paroisses de la Seine-Maritime'', éditions Picard, 1979, p. 113 {{ISBN|2-7084-0040-1}}.</ref> Second, the monks could have given the name ''Mortemer'' to their drainage lake to remember the other [[Mortemer, Seine-Maritime|Mortemer]] for any kind of reason we don't know, making a pun at the same time with ''Mer Morte'' "[[Dead Sea]]".
</blockquote>
</blockquote>


==Medieval magnates==
== Medieval magnates ==
[[File:Arms of the House of Mortimer.svg|thumb|right|200px|Arms of Mortimer (Mortimer of Wigmore): ''Barry or and azure, on a chief of the first two pallets between two base esquires of the second over all an inescutcheon argent'']]
[[File:Arms of the House of Mortimer.svg|thumb|right|200px|Arms of Mortimer (Mortimer of Wigmore): ''Barry or and azure, on a chief of the first two pallets between two base esquires of the second over all an inescutcheon argent'']]
In the [[Middle Ages]], the Mortimers became a powerful dynasty of [[Marcher Lord]]s in the [[Welsh Marches]], first as barons of [[Wigmore Castle]], [[Herefordshire]] and later as [[Earl of March]] from 1328 to 1425. Through marriage, the Mortimers came close to the English throne during the reign of [[Richard II of England|Richard II]], though their royal claim was ignored after Richard II's deposition by his cousin [[Henry IV of England|Henry of Bolingbroke]] in 1399. The Mortimer claims were later inherited by the [[House of York]], which claimed the throne upon the Earl of March [[Edward IV of England|Edward IV]]'s victory in the [[Battle of Towton]], 1461.
In the [[Middle Ages]], the Mortimers became a powerful dynasty of [[Marcher Lord]]s in the [[Welsh Marches]], first as barons of [[Wigmore Castle]], [[Herefordshire]] and later as [[Earl of March]] from 1328 to 1425. Through marriage, the Mortimers came close to the English throne during the reign of [[Richard II of England|Richard II]], though their royal claim was ignored after Richard II's deposition by his cousin [[Henry IV of England|Henry of Bolingbroke]] in 1399. The Mortimer claims were later inherited by the [[House of York]], which claimed the throne upon the Earl of March [[Edward IV of England|Edward IV]]'s victory in the [[Battle of Towton]], 1461.
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Members of the noble Mortimer family included:
Members of the noble Mortimer family included:


*[[Ranulph de Mortimer]], Lord of [[Wigmore Castle|Wigmore]], [[Herefordshire]] and Seigneur of [[Saint-Victor-l'Abbaye|St Victor-en-Caux]], [[Seine-Maritime]], [[Normandy]].
*[[Ranulph de Mortimer]], Lord of [[Wigmore Castle|Wigmore]], Herefordshire and Seigneur of [[Saint-Victor-l'Abbaye|St Victor-en-Caux]], [[Seine-Maritime]], Normandy
*[[Hugh de Mortimer]], Lord of [[Wigmore Castle|Wigmore]]
*[[Hugh de Mortimer]], Lord of Wigmore
*[[Roger Mortimer of Wigmore|Roger Mortimer]], Lord of Wigmore
*[[Roger Mortimer of Wigmore|Roger Mortimer]], Lord of Wigmore
*[[Ralph de Mortimer]], Lord of Wigmore
*[[Ralph de Mortimer]], Lord of Wigmore
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**[[Isabella Mortimer, Countess of Arundel]] (after 1247–before 1 April 1292/after 1300)
**[[Isabella Mortimer, Countess of Arundel]] (after 1247–before 1 April 1292/after 1300)
*[[Edmund Mortimer, 2nd Baron Mortimer]] (1251–1304)
*[[Edmund Mortimer, 2nd Baron Mortimer]] (1251–1304)
*[[Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March]] (1287-1330)
*[[Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March]] (1287–1330)
**[[Edmund Mortimer (1302–1331)]]
**[[Edmund Mortimer (1302–1331)]]
**[[Katherine Mortimer, Countess of Warwick]] (1314–1369)
**[[Katherine Mortimer, Countess of Warwick]] (1314–1369)
**[[Agnes Mortimer, Countess of Pembroke]] (1317–1368)
**[[Agnes Mortimer, Countess of Pembroke]] (1317–1368)
*[[Roger Mortimer, 2nd Earl of March]] (1328-1360)
*[[Roger Mortimer, 2nd Earl of March]] (1328–1360)
*[[Thomas Mortimer]] (c. 1350–1399), illegitimate member of the Mortimer family who opposed Richard II
*[[Thomas Mortimer]] (c. 1350–1399), illegitimate member of the Mortimer family who opposed Richard II
*[[Edmund Mortimer, 3rd Earl of March]] (1352-1381)
*[[Edmund Mortimer, 3rd Earl of March]] (1352–1381)
**[[Edmund Mortimer (1376-1409)]]
**[[Edmund Mortimer (1376-1409)|Edmund Mortimer (1376–1409)]]
*[[Roger Mortimer, 4th Earl of March]] (1374-1398)
*[[Roger Mortimer, 4th Earl of March]] (1374–1398)
*[[Edmund Mortimer, 5th Earl of March]] (1391-1425)
*[[Edmund Mortimer, 5th Earl of March]] (1391–1425)


==Other people==
== Other people ==
*[[Amanda Burden|Amanda Jay Mortimer]] (born 1944), American urban planner and consultant
*[[Amanda Burden|Amanda Jay Mortimer]] (born 1944), American urban planner and consultant
*[[Angela Mortimer]] (born 1932), British tennis player
*[[Bob Mortimer]] (born 1959), English comedian and actor
*[[Bob Mortimer]] (born 1959), English comedian and actor
*[[Carole Mortimer]] (born 1960), English romance novelist
*[[Carole Mortimer]] (born 1960), English romance novelist
Line 43: Line 44:
*[[Edmund Mortimer (actor)]] (1874–1944), American actor and film director
*[[Edmund Mortimer (actor)]] (1874–1944), American actor and film director
*[[Emily Mortimer]] (born 1971), English actress
*[[Emily Mortimer]] (born 1971), English actress
*[[Favell Lee Mortimer]] (1802-1878), English Evangelical author of educational books for children
*[[Favell Lee Mortimer]] (1802–1878), English Evangelical author of educational books for children
*[[Frank Mortimer]] (1932-2009), English rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s and 1960s
*[[Frank Mortimer]] (1932–2009), English rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s and 1960s
*[[Gary Mortimer]] (born 1967), English aeronaut
*[[Gary Mortimer]] (born 1967), English aeronaut
*[[George Ferris Whidborne Mortimer]] (1805–1871), English schoolmaster and divine
*[[George Ferris Whidborne Mortimer]] (1805–1871), English schoolmaster and divine
*[[Harvey Walklate Mortimer]] Senior (1753-1819) and Junior (1776-1850), English gunmakers on Fleet Street in London
*[[Ian Mortimer (canoeist)|Ian Mortimer]] (born 1983), Canadian sprint canoeist
*[[Ian Mortimer (canoeist)|Ian Mortimer]] (born 1983), Canadian sprint canoeist
*[[Ian Mortimer (historian)]] (born 1967), British writer
*[[Ian Mortimer (historian)]] (born 1967), British writer
*[[James Mortimer (chess player)|James Mortimer]] (1833–1911), American chess player, journalist and playwright
*[[James Mortimer (chess player)|James Mortimer]] (1833–1911), American chess player, journalist and playwright
*[[James Mortimer (hurdler)]] (born 1983), New Zealand hurdler
*[[James Mortimer (hurdler)]] (born 1983), New Zealand hurdler
*[[Jill Mortimer]] (elected 2021), English politician
*[[Jill Mortimer]], British Conservative politician, former MP for Hartlepool (2021-2024)
*[[John Mortimer (agriculturalist)|John Mortimer]] (c. 1656 – 1736), Agriculturalist
*[[John Mortimer (agriculturalist)|John Mortimer]] (c. 1656 – 1736), English agriculturalist
*[[John Mortimer]] (1923-2009), British barrister, dramatist, screenwriter and author
*[[John Mortimer]] (1923–2009), British barrister, dramatist, screenwriter and author
*[[John B. Mortimer]], Hong Kong judge
*[[John B. Mortimer]], Hong Kong judge
*[[John Hamilton Mortimer]] (1740–1779), British painter
*[[John Hamilton Mortimer]] (1740–1779), British painter
*[[John Robert Mortimer]] (1825–1911), Yorkshire corn merchant and archaeologist
*[[John Robert Mortimer]] (1825–1911), Yorkshire corn merchant and archaeologist
*[[Kenneth Mortimer]], 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 from 1993-2001
*[[Kenneth Mortimer]], 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]] (born 1996), British writer
*[[Mary Mortimer]] (1816–1877), British-born American educator
*[[Mary Mortimer]] (1816–1877), British-born American educator
*[[Minnie Mortimer]] (born 1980), fashion designer and socialite
*[[Minnie Mortimer]] (born 1980), American fashion designer and socialite
*[[Richard Mortimer]] (1852–1918), American real estate investor and society leader.
*[[Richard Mortimer]] (1852–1918), American real estate investor and society leader
*[[Roger Mortimer (racing)]] (1909–1991), racing correspondent
*[[Roger Mortimer (racing)]] (1909–1991), British horse-racing correspondent
*[[Steve Mortimer]] (born 1956), Australian rugby league footballer
*[[Steve Mortimer]] (born 1956), Australian rugby league footballer
*[[Thomas Mortimer (writer)|Thomas Mortimer]] (1730–1810), English writer in the field of economics
*[[Thomas Mortimer (writer)|Thomas Mortimer]] (1730–1810), English writer in the field of economics
*[[Tinsley Mortimer]] (born 1976), American socialite
*[[Tinsley Mortimer]] (born 1976), American socialite
*[[Tony Mortimer]] (born 1970), British songwriter, composer, singer and rapper; member of British 1990s pop group East 17
*[[Tony Mortimer]] (born 1970), British songwriter, composer, singer and rapper; member of British 1990s pop group East 17
* Aimee Mortimer, medical student, dry bread connoisseur.


==Fictional characters==
== Fictional characters ==
* Colonel Douglas Mortimer, played by [[Lee Van Cleef]] in the film ''[[For a Few Dollars More]]''
* Colonel Douglas Mortimer, played by [[Lee Van Cleef]] in the film ''[[For a Few Dollars More]]''
* Dr. Mortimer, a character in the [[Sherlock Holmes]] novel ''[[The Hound of the Baskervilles]]'' by Sir [[Arthur Conan Doyle]]
* Dr. Mortimer, in the [[Sherlock Holmes]] novel ''[[The Hound of the Baskervilles]]'' by Sir [[Arthur Conan Doyle]]
* Ignatius Mortimer Meen, the villain in the 1995 video game ''[[I.M. Meen]]''
* Lord Mortimer, played by [[Billy House]] in the 1946 film ''[[Bedlam (1946 film)|Bedlam]]''
* Lord Mortimer, played by [[Billy House]] in the 1946 film ''[[Bedlam (1946 film)|Bedlam]]''
* Philip Mortimer, a protagonist in ''[[Blake and Mortimer]]'', a Belgian comics series created by Edgar P. Jacobs
* Philip Mortimer, a protagonist in ''[[Blake and Mortimer]]'', a Belgian comics series created by Edgar P. Jacobs
* Mortimer Brewster, a protagonist in ''[[Arsenic and Old Lace (play)|Arsenic and Old Lace]]'' and its film adaptation
* Mort (Mortimer), the eponymous protagonist of ''[[Mort]]'', 4th novel in the [[Discworld]] series by [[Terry Pratchett]]
* Mortimer Crane, the protagonist of the novel ''Summer Never Ends'' by [[Waldo Frank]]
* Mortimer Delvile, a character in the novel ''Cecilia'' by [[Frances Burney]]
* Mortimer Duke, a character in the movie [[Trading Places]], played by [[Don Ameche]]
* Mortimer Goth, a character in the life simulation games ''[[The Sims]]'', ''[[The Sims 2]]'', ''[[The Sims 3]] and [[The Sims 4]]''
* Mortimer Harren, a male crewman in ''[[Star Trek: Voyager]]'', appearing in the episode 'Good Shepherd'
* Mortimer Scharff, the driver of the hearse Shadow in the popular destruction derby franchise [[Twisted Metal]].
* Mortimer Snerd, a ventriloquist's dummy employed by [[Edgar Bergen]].
* Mortimer McMire, the primary antagonist of the ''[[Commander Keen]]'' series
* [[Mickey Mouse universe#Mortimer Mouse|Mortimer Mouse]], a Disney character and rival of [[Mickey Mouse]]
* [[Morte (Planescape)|Mortimer "Morte" Rictusgrin]], a character and companion in the video game ''[[Planescape: Torment]]''
* [[Morty Smith|Mortimer "Morty" Smith]], one of the two lead characters in ''[[Rick and Morty]]''
* [[Toad (comics)|Mortimer Toynbee (Toad)]], a mutant in the ''[[X-Men]]'' comics
* Mortimer, the lead character in ''Mortimer'', written by Robert Munsch
* Mortimer, one of the four dancers in his band, and importantly the black one, in ''[[Harvey Street Kids]]''


==See also==
== See also ==
*[[Mort (name)]]
*[[Mort (name)]]
*[[Morton (surname)]]
*[[Morton (surname)]]
*[[Morty]]


==References==
== References ==
<references/>
<references/>


Latest revision as of 17:09, 7 December 2024

For other uses, see Mortimer (disambiguation).

Mortimer (/ˈmɔːrtɪmər/) is an English surname, and a given name (see Mortimer (given name)).

Norman origins

[edit]

The surname Mortimer has a Norman origin, deriving from the village of Mortemer, Seine-Maritime, 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 in 1054.[1] The 12th century abbey of Mortemer at Lisors near Lyons-la-Forêt 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 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 or Saxon origin mari/meri "mere", "lake"; mort(e) "dead" is also quite common to mean "stagnant" (in Port-Mort "the port with stagnant water", Morteau "dead water", etc.).[2] 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".

Medieval magnates

[edit]
Arms of Mortimer (Mortimer of Wigmore): Barry or and azure, on a chief of the first two pallets between two base esquires of the second over all an inescutcheon argent

In the Middle Ages, the Mortimers became a powerful dynasty of Marcher Lords in the Welsh Marches, first as barons of Wigmore Castle, Herefordshire and later as Earl of March from 1328 to 1425. Through marriage, the Mortimers came close to the English throne during the reign of Richard II, though their royal claim was ignored after Richard II's deposition by his cousin Henry of Bolingbroke in 1399. The Mortimer claims were later inherited by the House of York, which claimed the throne upon the Earl of March Edward IV's victory in the Battle of Towton, 1461.

Members of the noble Mortimer family included:

Other people

[edit]

Fictional characters

[edit]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ C. P. Lewis, Mortimer Roger (I) de (fl. 1054-c. 1080) in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004.
  2. ^ François de Beaurepaire, Les noms des communes et anciennes paroisses de la Seine-Maritime, éditions Picard, 1979, p. 113 ISBN 2-7084-0040-1.
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