Keyser Surname History

Origins Available:
England
Germany
Ireland

The origins of the Keyser surname date from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name originated with an early member who was 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. Keyser 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 Keyser 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 Keyser family

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

Early History of the Keyser family

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

Keyser Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore, spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Keyser has been recorded under many different variations, including Kaiser, Kaeser, Kaser, Keiser, Keaser, Kesser, Keysar, Keyser, Cayser and many more.

Early Notables of the Keyser family

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

Keyser Ranking

In the United States, the name Keyser is the 4,689^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 1

Migration of the Keyser family to Ireland

Some of the Keyser 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.

Keyser migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Keyser or a variant listed above:

Keyser Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

George Keyser, who sailed to Lynn, Massachusetts in 1638
Thomas Keyser, who arrived in Lynn, Massachusetts in 1638 2
Peter Keyser, who settled in Germantown, Pennsylvania in 1683
Dirk Keyser, who arrived in Germantown in 1691
Dirrck Keyser, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1691-1692 2

Keyser Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

George Friedrich Keyser and Johann Keyser, who settled in America in 1709-1710
Agnis Keyser, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1729 2
Eliza Keyser, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1729 2
Jacob Keyser, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1729 2
Welder Keyser, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1729 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Keyser Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Bergitta Christina Keyser, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1804 2
Wilhelm Keyser, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1804 2
Samuel Keyser, who landed in Somerset County, Pennsylvania in 1838 2
Masset Keyser, who landed in New York in 1839 2
Fredrick Keyser, who landed in Mississippi in 1840 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Keyser (post 1700) +

Frank Ray Keyser Jr. (1927-2015), American lawyer and politician, 72nd Governor of Vermont (1961-1963)
Brigadier-General George Vernon Keyser (1895-1972), American Chief of Counter Intelligence Corps (1947-1948) 3
Christopher Adam Keyser (b. 1960), American producer and writer of prime-time dramas
Ephraim Keyser (b. 1850), American sculptor
William Keyser (1835-1904), executive of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Cassius Jackson Keyser (1862-1947), American mathematician
Frank Ray Keyser Jr. (b. 1927), American Republican politician, Governor of Vermont, 1961-63; Defeated, 1962 4
Frank Ray Keyser Sr. (1898-2001), American politician, Member of Vermont State House of Representatives, 1937-39; Superior Court Judge in Vermont, 1956-64; Justice of Vermont State Supreme Court, 1964-75 4
Ellen L. Keyser, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Vermont, 1948 4
Anna L. Keyser, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1940 4
... (Another 20 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

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)
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, March 30) George Keyser. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Keyser/George_Vernon/USA.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 26) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html