Kisler History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Anglo-Saxon name Kisler comes from when the family resided near a stream in which a substantial quantity of the edible plant cress or watercress grew. The surname Kisler is derived from the Old English words cærse, which means cress, and lacu, which means stream. 1 The surname Kisler belongs to the class of topographic surnames, which were given to people who resided near physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of trees.

Early Origins of the Kisler family

The surname Kisler was first found in Devon at Kerslake, a hamlet near Tiverton. "Burgesses of that town bore this name in the reign of James I., and Abraham Kerslake was a Tiverton churchwarden in the time of Charles II." 2

The "C" and "K" prefix for the name has always been interchangeable, as the first record of the family was actually found in Somerset. The Assize Rolls of Somerset in 1279 listed Ranulph de Carselak. 3

Early History of the Kisler family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kisler research. Another 116 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1279, 1295, 1586, 1677, 1821 and 1881 are included under the topic Early Kisler History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kisler Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Kisler include Karslake, Carslake, Kerslake, Carselak, Karslack and others.

Early Notables of the Kisler family

More information is included under the topic Early Kisler Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kisler migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Kisler Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

David Kisler, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1753 4
Abraham Kisler, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1765 4
George Kisler, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1772 4

Kisler migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Kisler Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Conrad Kisler, aged 35, a brickmaker, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Duke of Edinburgh" in 1873
Louisa Kisler, aged 30, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Duke of Edinburgh" in 1873
George Kisler, aged 7, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Duke of Edinburgh" in 1873

The Kisler 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: Ad finem fidelis
Motto Translation: Faithful to the end.

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)