Contents [hide]

Tailor History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Tailor History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

The distinguished surname Tailor is one of the many names that came to England in the wake of the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name is derived from the Old French "tailleor" or "tailleur," meaning "a tailor." 1

Early Origins of the Tailor family

The surname Tailor was first found in Sussex, and in Kent where there is record in the "Archaeologia Cantiana" of Walter Taylur in circa 1180. William le Taillur was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Somerset in 1182, and John le talliur is listed in the Assize Rolls of London in 1202. 2

"William Tallator had a grant at Southampton; and also in Kent from King John. The family then became seated in Kent and Sussex. in 1307 Henry le Taillur was of Sussex and in 1324 William Taylor was M.P. from Bramber, as was Richard Taylor in 1379." 3

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list the following: Henry Taliur in Norfolk; Cecil le Tayllour in Cambridgeshire; Roger le Taylur in Lincolnshire; and Richard le Taylor in Northumberland. 4

Early History of the Tailor family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tailor research. Another 107 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1601, 1602, 1613, 1620, 1621, 1629, 1641, 1645, 1649, 1661, 1667, 1699, 1729, 1779, 1890 and 1920 are included under the topic Early Tailor History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tailor 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 Taylor, Taylour, Taylur, Tailler, Taillefer and many more.

Early Notables of the Tailor family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Edward Taylor (1645-1729), who was hailed as the finest American poet of the 17th century upon the publication of his work in 1920; Jeremy Taylor (1613-1667) English cleric in the Church of England; Richard Taylor (died 1641), an English lawyer and politician who sat in...
Another 53 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Tailor Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Tailor family to Ireland

Some of the Tailor family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 62 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tailor 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 Tailor or a variant listed above:

Tailor Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Henry Tailor, who arrived in Maryland in 1634 5
Mr. Nicholas Tailor, who arrived in Massachusetts Bay in 1635 aboard the ship "Unity", with family 6
Mrs. Tailor, who arrived in Massachusetts Bay in 1635 aboard the ship "Unity", with family 6
George Tailor, aged 15, who arrived in Maryland in 1637 5
Hen Tailor, who landed in Virginia in 1662 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Tailor Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Daniel Tailor, who landed in America in 1809 5

Tailor migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Tailor Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Robert Tailor, aged 20, who arrived in Quebec in 1833

Tailor migration to Australia +

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

Tailor Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Thomas Tailor who was convicted in Hereford, Herefordshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Bussorah Merchant" on 24th March 1828, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 7
Mr. Joseph Tailor, (b. 1812), aged 17, English errand boy who was convicted in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England for 7 years for burglary, transported aboard the "Claudine" on 19th August 1829, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8

Tailor 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:

Tailor Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

C. Tailor, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Slains Castle" arriving in Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 9th November 1852 9

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)
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)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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)
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bussorah-merchant
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 18th February 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/claudine
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html