| ![Show Contents]() Syers History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of SyersWhat does the name Syers mean? Syers is one of the thousands of new names that the Norman Conquest brought to England in 1066. The Syers family lived in Essex. Their name, however, is a reference to St. Saire, Normandy, the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. Alternatively, the name could have been a trade name for someone who was "an assayer of metals." 1 And another variation is that it could have been "an Anglo-Norman personal name, as Saher de Quincy, the famous Earl of Winchester." 1 There are at least three other listed origins of the name, but these latter three seem the most probable. Early Origins of the Syers familyThe surname Syers was first found in Essex where the family's first listing of the name was found during the reign of Edward II. 1 Omitting the entries as a personal name, we also found: Stephanus filius Seir (1148-1152) and ? filius Saheri (Saieri) c. 1160 in Lincolnshire. Robertus filius Seer was listed in the 12th century in Nottinghamshire and Richard Sayer was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Devon in 1230. Thomas Sare and John Sayer were listed in the Feet of Fines of Essex in 1292. 2 The Thayer variant produced the Pilgrim Fathers and brothers Thomas Thayer (1596-1665) and Richard Thayer (1601-1664) who were born in Thornbury, Devon. The family were originally from Glastonbury, Somerset, the oldest found was John Tahyer, born c. 1450. Early History of the Syers familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Syers research. Another 116 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1560, 1602, 1603, 1625, 1631, 1655, 1695, 1705, 1718 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Syers History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Syers Spelling VariationsMultitudes 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 Sayer, Sayers, Sayres and others. Early Notables of the Syers familyRobert Sayer or Seare (1560-1602), a Benedictine monk, born at Redgrave, Suffolk, the son of John Seare; Sir John Sayer of Bourchers Hall in Essex; and his son, George Sayer (c. 1655-1718), an English courtier and politician, Member of Parliament for Canterbury (1695-1705) who acquired estates at Petts...
Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Syers Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Syers family to IrelandSome of the Syers family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 61 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Syers migration to the United States | + |
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 Syers or a variant listed above:
Syers Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Thomas Syers, who landed in New York in 1837 3
| Contemporary Notables of the name Syers (post 1700) | + |
- Mark Hsu Syers (1952-1983), American Broadway actor in the 1970s/80s
- Dave Syers (b. 1987), English former professional footballer who played as a midfielder
- Keith Syers (1939-2011), New Zealand academic and academic administrator
- Edgar Syers (1863-1946), British figure skater who competed in both singles and pair skating
- Sir Cecil George Lewis Syers KCMG, CVO, JP (1903-1981), British civil servant and diplomat, private secretary to the Prime Minister from 1937 to 1940 and British High Commissioner to Ceylon from 1951 to 1957
- Madge Syers (1881-1917), British winner of a gold and bronze Olympic medal for skating at the 1908 games
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Bear and forbear
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- 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)
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