Sayler History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Switzerland
Ireland

The surname Sayler is derived from the Old Norman French word "sailleor," which denotes a "leaper" or "dancer." Thus the name was most likely originally born by someone whose occupation was that of a dancer or entertainer.

Early Origins of the Sayler family

The surname Sayler was first found in Yorkshire where Herbert le Sayllur was on record in "Early Yorkshire Charters" dating from 1191 to 1210. "The surname is very rare indeed. This is not a little singular, considering the commonness of the employment. In the Hundredorum Rolls we have it in the forms of Le Sailliur, Le Saylliur, and Le Saler." 1

Early History of the Sayler family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sayler research. Another 92 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1275, 1327 and 1790 are included under the topic Early Sayler History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sayler Spelling Variations

A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Saylor, Sayler, Saylur, Sailor, Sailer and others.

Early Notables of the Sayler family

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

Sayler Ranking

In the United States, the name Sayler is the 11,639^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Sayler family to Ireland

Some of the Sayler 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.

Sayler migration to the United States +

Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Sayler or a variant listed above:

Sayler Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Ralph Sayler, who landed in Virginia in 1649 3

Sayler Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Andrew Sayler, who landed in Virginia in 1704 3
Johann Sayler, who immigrated to Pennsylvania in 1728
Peter Sayler, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1733 3
Abraham Sayler, aged 30, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1736 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Sayler (post 1700) +

Major-General Henry Benton Sayler (1893-1970), American Chief of Research & Development, Office of the Chief of Ordnance (1946-1949) 4
Jace Sayler (b. 1979), American professional (NFL) football player

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2014, March 26) Henry Sayler. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Sayler/Henry_Benton/USA.html