Show ContentsNailler History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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  • England
Nailler Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Nailler

What does the name Nailler mean?

The name Nailler arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. It is a name for a person who was a maker of nails having derived from the Old English word nayl. 1 2

Early Origins of the Nailler family

The surname Nailler was first found in Gloucestershire where they held a family seat from very early times. There is an early record of Stephen le Nailere in 1231 in the Patent Rolls of London. A few years later, James le nayler was listed as a Freeman of York in 1273. 3

The source Placita de Quo Warranto, temp. Edward I-III., notes that John le Naylere was listed in Norfolk, 20 Edward I (during the twentieth year of King Edward I's reign.)

Later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 included entries for Johannes Nayler and Willelmus Nayler who held lands there at that time. 1

"Some of the Naylors of Derbyshire are probably connected in their descent with Christopher Nayler of Derby, who, in 1666, left bequests for the poor of the parishes of St. Alkmund and St. Michael in that town. The name is still in Derby." 4

Early History of the Nailler family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Nailler research. Another 65 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1616, 1617, 1660, 1764, 1792, 1804 and 1831 are included under the topic Early Nailler History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nailler Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Naylor, Naylour, Nayler and others.

Early Notables of the Nailler family

James Nayler (or Naylor) (c. 1616-1660), an English Quaker leader, one of the members of the Valiant Sixty. He was born at Ardsley, near Wakefield, West Riding of Yorkshire, about 1617. His father, a substantial yeoman, gave him a good English education. 5 Sir George Nayler (1764?-1831), was Garter King-of-Arms, the fifth son of George Nayler, surgeon, of Stroud, Gloucestershire. The Duke of Norfolk gave him a commission in the West York...
Another 71 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Nailler Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Nailler family

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Nailler or a variant listed above: Thomas Naylor, who came to Virginia in 1623; Edward Naylor, who settled in Boston in 1630; Edward and Joe Nayler, who arrived in St. Christopher in 1635.
  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  3. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  4. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  5. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print

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