Tayl History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

The distinguished surname Tayl is one of the many names that came to England in the wake of the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name is derived from the Old French "tailleor" or "tailleur," meaning "a tailor." 1

Early Origins of the Tayl family

The surname Tayl was first found in Sussex, and in Kent where there is record in the "Archaeologia Cantiana" of Walter Taylur in circa 1180. William le Taillur was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Somerset in 1182, and John le talliur is listed in the Assize Rolls of London in 1202. 2

"William Tallator had a grant at Southampton; and also in Kent from King John. The family then became seated in Kent and Sussex. in 1307 Henry le Taillur was of Sussex and in 1324 William Taylor was M.P. from Bramber, as was Richard Taylor in 1379." 3

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list the following: Henry Taliur in Norfolk; Cecil le Tayllour in Cambridgeshire; Roger le Taylur in Lincolnshire; and Richard le Taylor in Northumberland. 4

Early History of the Tayl family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tayl research. Another 107 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1601, 1602, 1613, 1620, 1621, 1629, 1641, 1645, 1649, 1661, 1667, 1699, 1729, 1779, 1890 and 1920 are included under the topic Early Tayl History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tayl Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Tayl were recorded, including Taylor, Taylour, Taylur, Tailler, Taillefer and many more.

Early Notables of the Tayl family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Edward Taylor (1645-1729), who was hailed as the finest American poet of the 17th century upon the publication of his work in 1920
Jeremy Taylor (1613-1667) English cleric in the Church of England
Richard Taylor (died 1641), an English lawyer and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1621 to 1629
Richard Taylor (1620-1667), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1661 to 1667, supporter of the Royalist cause in the English Civil War
Richard Taylor (c.1649-1699), an English Member of Parliament

Migration of the Tayl family to Ireland

Some of the Tayl family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 62 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tayl migration to the United States +

The unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Tayl arrived in North America very early:

Tayl Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Tayl, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1685 5

Citations +

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)
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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)