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Saylor History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Saylor History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The surname Saylor 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 Saylor family

The surname Saylor 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 Saylor family

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

Saylor Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Saylor, Sayler, Saylur, Sailor, Sailer and others.

Early Notables of the Saylor family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Saylor of Suffolk

Saylor Ranking

In the United States, the name Saylor is the 2,392^nd most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Saylor family to Ireland

Some of the Saylor 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.

Saylor migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Saylor or a variant listed above:

Saylor Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Arthur Saylor, who landed in Virginia in 1642 3
Robert Saylor, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1682 3

Saylor Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Henry Saylor, who arrived in Schaefferstown, Pennsylvania in 1767
John Saylor, aged 21, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1777 3

Saylor Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Elmina F. Saylor, aged 38, who immigrated to the United States, in 1893

Saylor Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Dora B. Saylor, aged 36, who landed in America, in 1904
Henry D. Saylor, aged 42, who immigrated to America, in 1904
Gertrude Saylor, aged 30, who landed in America from London, in 1905
Elmyra Saylor, aged 65, who settled in America, in 1905
Charles Saylor, aged 67, who landed in America, in 1905
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Saylor (post 1700) +

O. Webster Saylor, American head college football coach for the Franklin & Marshall Diplomats in the 1916 season
Debra Saylor (b. 1962), American pianist, classical singer and voice instructor
Thomas G. Saylor, American Justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Everett Saylor (1909-1942), American racecar driver
Frank Dennis Saylor IV (b. 1955), United States federal judge
Katie Saylor (b. 1951), former American actress, best known for The Fantastic Journey (1977), Invasion of the Bee Girls (1973) and Men of the Dragon (1974)
Connie Saylor (1940-1993), American NASCAR racecar driver
Morgan Saylor (b. 1994), American Screen Actors Guild Award nominated actress for "Homeland" (2011)
Syd Saylor (1895-1962), American comedy actor and movie cowboy who appeared in 395 films and television series between 1926 and 1962, he was also the second television "Bozo the Clown"
Michael J. Saylor (b. 1965), American Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer, and President of MicroStrategy, founder of the Saylor Foundation, a non-profit organization based in Washington, DC
... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

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)