This is a very rare name of Lancashire Olde English origin, which derives from a now "lost "hamlet" called "Kellamergh", a name of Norse-Viking pre 8th Century origins. In the Lanashire Pipe Rolls of 1201, the name appears as "Kelfgrimeshereg" which translates as "The Farm or Place of "Ketilgrimr" - this being a personal name meaning "The Grim-Cauldron" - quite an unusual name even by the standards of the day. It is probable that the area was "cleared" in the 17th Century, possibly owing to Civil War and this may account for the relative lack of records, although it is known that the first recorded holder (below) married, one James Bell. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Alice Kelmer. which was dated 1646, Marrried at Cartmel Church, Lancashire. during the reign of King Charles I, "The Martyr", 1625 - 1649. 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.