Styer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The present generation of the Styer family is only the most recent to bear a name, whose roots date back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. The surname is derived from the Old English "stigol," meaning "stile, steep ascent," and refers to a "dweller by the stile." 1 2 A stile is a set of steps over a stone wall or wooden fence allowing people to traverse, but prevents animals from doing so.

Early Origins of the Styer family

The surname Styer was first found in Bedfordshire (Old English: Bedanfordscir), located in Southeast-central England, formerly part of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia, where the family held a family seat in early times. The earliest known bearer of the name was Reginald atte Stighel, who was recorded in the Assize Rolls of 1227. The Styer family branched to other counties at an early date, also appearing in Somerset, where William de Stile and Osmund Atthe Stihele were living in 1229 and 1234 respectively, as well as in Sussex, where William ate Stegel was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of 1296. 3

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: Richard de la Style, Bedfordshire; John atte Stile, Oxfordshire; and Robert ate Stiele, Oxfordshire. 2

Early History of the Styer family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Styer research. Another 129 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1500, 1543, 1575, 1603, 1624, 1656, 1659, 1679, 1702 and 1761 are included under the topic Early Styer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Styer Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Styer are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Styer include: Stiles, Styals, Styles, Style, Stoyle, Steggle, Steagall, Steggal and many more.

Early Notables of the Styer family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Sir Thomas Style, 1st Baronet of Wateringbury, Kent; and his son, Sir Thomas Style, 2nd Baronet (1624-1702) was an English politician, Member of Parliament for Kent (1656-1659.)William Style (1603-1679), was an "English legal author, eldest son of William Style...
Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Styer Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Styer Ranking

In the United States, the name Styer is the 17,532^nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Styer family to Ireland

Some of the Styer 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.

Styer migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Styer or a variant listed above:

Styer Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Styer, who arrived in New Jersey in 1763 5

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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)