Nalor History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Nalor

What does the name Nalor mean?

The name Nalor reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Nalor family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest in 1066. Nalor 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 Nalor family

The surname Nalor 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 Nalor family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Nalor 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 Nalor History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nalor Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Naylor, Naylour, Nayler and others.

Early Notables of the Nalor 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 Nalor Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Nalor family

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Nalor 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.

Sources +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print