Leyr History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• England

Etymology of Leyr

The Anglo-Saxon name Leyr comes from when the family resided in Leire, in Leciestershire, or in Layer in Essex. They are all derived from an ancient Celtic river name, Leir. 1

Alternatively, the name could have been an occupational name for 'the layer,' i.e. a stone layer, one who sets the stones in building, a waller. 2

"'Layere, or werkare wythe stone and mortere, cementarius': Promptorium Parvulorum, and v. Way's note thereon. Probably the term was familiar to Norfolk, as the above quotation suggests, for Layer has been a Norfolk surname for many centuries." 3

And another source has a slightly different origin, noting the name was from the "French layeur, a forest surveyor; one who makes roads through forests." 4

Early Origins of the Leyr family

Early History of the Leyr family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Leyr research. Another 129 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1275, 1291, 1327, 1429, 1526, 1531, 1537, 1600, 1661, 1683 and 1723 are included under the topic Early Leyr History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Leyr 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. Leyr has been recorded under many different variations, including Layer, Layar, Layre, Leyr, Leyre and others.

Early Notables of the Leyr family

Christopher Layer (1531-1600), of Norwich, Norfolk, an English merchant, burgess of Norwich, and briefly a Member of Parliament. He was the son of William Layer, Mayor of Norwich and Elizabeth, daughter of John Marsham of Norwich, gentleman. The four figurines encased in the two pilasters of The Layer Monument, also known as The Layer Quaternity in the Church of St John Maddermarket are rare examples of Northern Mannerism sculpture in Britain. Another Christopher Layer (1683-1723) was an English...
Another 76 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Leyr Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Leyr family

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 Leyr or a variant listed above: Adam Layar who arrived in Philadelphia in 1749; John Hend Layer who sailed to Nova Scotia in 1752; and Henry Layer who sailed to Philadelphia in 1765..