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Gaylor History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Gaylor History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

The family name Gaylor is thought to be of Norman origins. Originally, Gaylor was a name given to a happy, joyous, and bold person. The name Gaylor derives from the nickname the galliard, which means the bold or the joyous. 1

We note Chaucer's reference to the name in The Cook's Tale: 'Gaillard he was, as goldfinch in the shawe.'

Some presume the family originated in Normandy, France as the Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae listed Roger Golier of Normandy in 1198. 2

Early Origins of the Gaylor family

The surname Gaylor was first found in the London area where the first record of the name was in the Latin form: Gaylardus in 1206. Later, Robert Gaylard was listed in 1225, and later again, John Galard was listed in 1232. 3

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed: John Gayllard, Cambridgeshire; William Gallard and John Galard in Oxfordshire. 4

As a forename, we found Gaillarda Blome in the Close Roll, 5 Edward II and Gaylarde uxor Arnaldt de Puribus, Close Roll, 39 Henry III. The reader should note that ancient rolls always listed entries by the year of the king's reign. By example, 39, Henry III denotes during the thirty-ninth year of King Henry III's reign. 4

Further to the north ion Scotland, "Reginaldus de Galard' witnessed a charter by Adam de Hastengis of the land of Kengildurs to the Abbey of Aberbrothoc, c. 1214-1226. John Galart or Gallard held the land of Keth Sywin or Swinis Keeth, Fife, in 1248, and Reginaldus de Gaillard is mentioned in connection with the land about the same date." 5

Early History of the Gaylor family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gaylor research. Another 130 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1341, 1351, 1426, 1667, 1675, 1676, 1687 and 1749 are included under the topic Early Gaylor History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gaylor Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Gaylor have been found, including Gaylord, Gaillard, Galliard, Gaylor, Gayleard and others.

Early Notables of the Gaylor family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Richard Gaillard and Hughes Gaillard, British Squires who bravely fought at the Combat of the Thirty on March 26th, 1351.John Ernest Galliard (1687?-1749), was a...
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gaylor Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gaylor Ranking

In the United States, the name Gaylor is the 5,406^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 6

Gaylor migration to the United States +

For many English families, the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. For such families, the shores of Ireland, Australia, and the New World beckoned. They left their homeland at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. Many arrived after the long voyage sick, starving, and without a penny. But even those were greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. Numerous English settlers who arrived in the United States and Canada at this time went on to make important contributions to the developing cultures of those countries. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Gaylor were among those contributors:

Gaylor Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Mrs. Gaylor, aged 37, who arrived in Dorchester, Massachusetts in1630 aboard the ship "Mary & John" 7
Mr. Samuel Gaylor, aged 10, who arrived in Dorchester, Massachusetts in1630 aboard the ship "Mary & John" 7
John Gaylor, who arrived in Virginia in 1652 8

Gaylor Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

R C Gaylor, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1855 8
Robert S. Gaylor, aged 32, who landed in America, in 1893
Edward Gaylor, aged 25, who immigrated to the United States from Liverpool, in 1897
Frank Gaylor, aged 17, who landed in America from Liverpool, in 1897

Gaylor Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Ralph W. Gaylor, who settled in America, in 1907
John Gaylor, aged 26, who landed in America from Hoylake, England, in 1909
Joseph Gaylor, aged 35, who settled in America from Ireland, in 1910
Lena Gaylor, aged 35, who landed in America from Bradford, England, in 1911
Isabel Gaylor, aged 15, who landed in America from Brodsford, England, in 1911
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Gaylor migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Gaylor Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Robert Gaylor, (b. 1822), aged 21, English butcher who was convicted in Bridgewater, Somerset, England for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Cressy" on 28th April 1843, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 9

Contemporary Notables of the name Gaylor (post 1700) +

Alan B. Gaylor (1926-2008), American businessman best known as the founder of Al's Formal Wear
Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Robert D. Gaylor (b. 1930), the fifth Chief Master Sergeant
Annie Laurie Gaylor (b. 1955), co-founder of the Freedom From Religion Foundation

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 21st May 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/cressy