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Thayer History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Thayer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany
Ireland

The name Thayer reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Thayer family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Thayer family lived in Essex. Their name, however, is a reference to St. Saire, Normandy, the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. Alternatively, the name could have been a trade name for someone who was "an assayer of metals." 1 And another variation is that it could have been "an Anglo-Norman personal name, as Saher de Quincy, the famous Earl of Winchester." 1 There are at least three other listed origins of the name, but these latter three seem the most probable.

Early Origins of the Thayer family

The surname Thayer was first found in Essex where the family's first listing of the name was found during the reign of Edward II. 1 Omitting the entries as a personal name, we also found: Stephanus filius Seir (1148-1152) and ? filius Saheri (Saieri) c. 1160 in Lincolnshire.

Robertus filius Seer was listed in the 12th century in Nottinghamshire and Richard Sayer was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Devon in 1230. Thomas Sare and John Sayer were listed in the Feet of Fines of Essex in 1292. 2

The Thayer variant produced the Pilgrim Fathers and brothers Thomas Thayer (1596-1665) and Richard Thayer (1601-1664) who were born in Thornbury, Devon. The family were originally from Glastonbury, Somerset, the oldest found was John Tahyer, born c. 1450.

Early History of the Thayer family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Thayer research. Another 116 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1560, 1602, 1603, 1625, 1631, 1655, 1695, 1705, 1718 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Thayer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Thayer Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Sayer, Sayers, Sayres and others.

Early Notables of the Thayer family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Robert Sayer or Seare (1560-1602), a Benedictine monk, born at Redgrave, Suffolk, the son of John Seare; Sir John Sayer of Bourchers Hall in Essex; and his son, George Sayer (c. 1655-1718), an English courtier and politician, Member of Parliament...
Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Thayer Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Thayer Ranking

In the United States, the name Thayer is the 1,792^nd most popular surname with an estimated 17,409 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Thayer family to Ireland

Some of the Thayer family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 61 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Thayer migration to the United States +

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Thayer name or one of its variants:

Thayer Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Richard Thayer, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1640 4
Thomas Thayer, who landed in Braintree, Massachusetts in 1647 4
Nathaniel Thayer, who arrived in New England in 1665 4

Thayer Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Oscar Thayer, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 4
Joseph Thayer, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 4
Charles F Thayer, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 4
Charles Thayer, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1878 4
Leonard Thayer, who landed in Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1885 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Thayer Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Alice R. Thayer, aged 54, who settled in America, in 1903
Addison Thayer, aged 45, who immigrated to the United States, in 1906
Alec Thayer, aged 40, who immigrated to America, in 1906
Augustus Thayer, aged 67, who landed in America, in 1907
Albert Thayer, aged 4, who immigrated to the United States, in 1908
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Thayer migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Thayer Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Jonathan Thayer, who landed in Anapolis (Annapolis), Nova Scotia in 1760
Moses Thayer, who arrived in Anapolis (Annapolis), Nova Scotia in 1760

Thayer migration to Australia +

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

Thayer Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

T. Thayer, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Caroline" in 1849 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Thayer (post 1700) +

Nate Thayer (1960-2023), American freelance journalist whose work focused on international organized crime, narcotics trafficking, human rights, and areas of military conflict
William Roscoe Thayer (1859-1923), American author and editor
Whitney Eugene Thayer (1838-1889), American organist and composer
Brigadier General Sylvanus Thayer (1785-1872), American soldier, known as "the Father of West Point"
Lorna Thayer (1919-2005), American actress
Joseph Henry Thayer (1828-1901), American biblical scholar
James Bradley Thayer (1831-1902), American legal writer and educationist
Harry Bates Thayer (1858-1936), American electrical and telephone businessman, chairman of AT&T
Ernest Thayer (1863-1940), American poet, author of "Casey at the Bat"
Alexander Wheelock Thayer (1817-1897), American librarian and author of The life of Ludwig van Beethoven, a standard biography, and other music biographies
... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Thayer family +

RMS Titanic

Mrs. Marian Longsteth Thayer, (née Morris), aged 39, American First Class passenger from Haverford, Pennsylvania who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and survived the sinking escaping in life boat 4 6
Mr. John Borland "Jack" III Thayer, aged 17, American First Class passenger from Haverford, Pennsylvania who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and survived the sinking escaping in life boat B 6
Mr. John Borland II Thayer (d. 1912), aged 49, American First Class passenger from Haverford, Pennsylvania who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 6

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
"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)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The CAROLINE 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Caroline.htm
Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html