Keisler Surname History

Origins Available:
England
Germany
Ireland

Keisler is a name whose history is entwined with the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It was a name for a person who behaved in an imperious manner or it may have also referred to someone who played the part of an emperor in a pageant or play. Keisler is derived from the German word kaiser, which means emperor. This was originally derived from the German word keiser, which in turn came from the Old German word keisar; these both were derived from the Latin imperial title Caesar, which was originally a family name. The most famous members of this family are the great Roman general and statesman Julius Caesar and his adopted son Augustus Caesar, who was the first Roman Emperor. The German title Kaiser was used by the Holy Roman Emperors from Otto I, who ascended the throne in 962 to Francis II, who relinquished the title in 1806. The surname Keisler was often brought to England by German settlers, many of whom were imported as laborers following the Norman Conquest in 1066.

Early Origins of the Keisler family

The surname Keisler was first found in Oxfordshire, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the Keisler family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Keisler research. Another 104 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1195, 1273, 1663, 1670 and 1739 are included under the topic Early Keisler History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Keisler Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Keisler were recorded, including Kaiser, Kaeser, Kaser, Keiser, Keaser, Kesser, Keysar, Keyser, Cayser and many more.

Early Notables of the Keisler family

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

Keisler Ranking

In the United States, the name Keisler is the 15,463^rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Migration of the Keisler family to Ireland

Some of the Keisler 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.

Keisler migration to the United States +

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Keisler family emigrate to North America:

Keisler Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Keisler, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1761 2

Keisler Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Herm Friedrich Keisler, who landed in America in 1832 2
Franz Keisler, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1860 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Keisler (post 1700) +

Randy Dean Keisler (b. 1976), American Major League Baseball pitcher
Peter D. Keisler (b. 1960), American former Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Civil Division at the U.S. Department of Justice
Howerd Jerome Keisler (b. 1936), American mathematician

Citations +

"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)