Dyers History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The name Dyers is part of the ancient legacy of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. Dyers was a name used for a deer, where in early times it was used as a term of endearment. The surname Dyers originally derived from the Old English Dyri. The name could also have been derived from the Old English word deag, which meant "dye." As a surname, Dyers was likely an occupational name for a "dyer of cloth." 1 In ancient Latin documents, the trade and surname was listed as "tinctor" and has a French equivalent of Teinturier.

Early Origins of the Dyers family

The surname Dyers was first found in Oxfordshire where one the first records of the family was John le Deyere who was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. There was quite a few early records of the family in Somerset. Kirby's Quest of Somerset listed: John Dyar; Richard le Dyghar; John le Dyghar, as all having lived there temp. 1 Edward III. Richard le Dyer, of Kiderminster was rector of Fincham, Norfolk in 1333. 2 3

Again in Somerset, another source notes that Henry le Deghar was listed there in 1260. Later the Subsidy Rolls of 1275 listed Robert le Deyare in Worcestershire and later again, Alexander Dyghere was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296. The Subsidy Rolls for Derbyshire noted Henry le Dyer had lands there in 1327. 4

In Scotland early records used the Latin form "tinctor." Henry tinctor was listed in Dumfriesshire, c. 1259 and Roger tinctor held land in Aberdeen in 1332. John Dyer called 'talp,' was admitted burgess of the same town in 1436. 5

Early History of the Dyers family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dyers research. Another 148 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1260, 1273, 1333, 1382, 1543, 1596, 1607, 1611, 1660, 1680, 1682, 1685, 1697, 1699 and 1757 are included under the topic Early Dyers History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dyers Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Dyers include Dyer, Dyers, Dyar, Dier, Dyars, Dieres, Dire, Dires and many more.

Early Notables of the Dyers family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Sir Edward Dyer (1543-1607) English poet in the court of Elizabethan I, he was knighted and made chancellor of the Order of the Garter in 1596; William Dyre (died 1685), Englishman who served as the 13th Mayor of New York City (1680 to 1682); John Dyer (1699-1757), a Welsh poet; and Mary Barrett Dyer (c.1611-1660), an English Puritan turned Quaker who was hanged in Boston, Massachusetts for repeatedly defying a law banning Quakers from...
Another 81 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dyers Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Dyers family to Ireland

Some of the Dyers family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dyers migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Dyers were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records:

Dyers Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Mary Dyers, who arrived in Virginia in 1655 6
Richard Dyers, who landed in Virginia in 1655 6

Dyers migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Dyers Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Luke Dyers, aged 24, a farmer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the ship "Britannia" from Sligo, Ireland
Bessy Dyers, aged 23, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1838 aboard the barque "Rebecca" from Liverpool, England
Margaret Dyers, aged 8, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1838 aboard the barque "Rebecca" from Liverpool, England
Jane Dyers, aged 6, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1838 aboard the barque "Rebecca" from Liverpool, England
Sarah Ann Dyers, aged 4, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1838 aboard the barque "Rebecca" from Liverpool, England
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Dyers (post 1700) +

Errol Dyers (1952-2017), South African musician and guitarist

The Dyers Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Terrere nolo, timere nescio
Motto Translation: I wish not to intimidate, and know not how to fear.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)