Last name: Taylor

This is an English surname but of French origins. It derives from the word "tailleur" meaning "a cutter-out of cloth", the surname being adopted from the medieval job description after the 12th century. It would seem that tradition dictates that the spelling as tailor refers to the trade of tailoring, whilst Taylor, Tayler, Tailour and Taylour are the surname forms, but this is arguable. What is certain is that the surname is extremely popular, and in England ranks second only to Smith in the surnames listing. It is said that over the centuries its numbers have been swelled by its adoption as the English forms of various equivalent continental names such as Schneider, Szabo, and Portnov, which have entered into Britain mainly as refugee names. Early examples of the surname recording taken from surviving rolls and registers of the medieval period include: William le Taillur in the Pipe Rolls of the county of Somerset in 1182, and Roger le Taylur in the Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1273. Among the many Taylors recorded in history are Zackary Taylor (1784 - 1850), the 12th president of the Unites States. He was a famous soldier who played a large part in the independence of Texas from Mexico, whilst Jane Taylor (1783 - 1824), was a famous childrens author whose works included the poem "Twinkle, twinkle, little star". The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Walter Taylur. This was dated 1180, in the records of Canterbury Cathedral, during the reign of King Henry 11nd, 1154 - 1189. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

Visitor Comments

Maoriwahine
My Grand Father : Edwin Taylor's family came from Sussex ,England.

Sara
hmm so my husband comes from a line of cloth cutters! lovely

rebeca
im a taylor and its a beeter job than some

Tayla Dennis
Mums maiden name partially why my first name is Tayla other is a character of Bold and the Beautiful nice

Andrew Goodman
Clan Taylor The name appears numerous times in records from the 13th century and comes from the craft of tailoring. The Latin version in Cissor, and people of the name of Cissor or Scissor are recorded in the 14th and 15th centuries. TAYLOR: This name is, not surprisingly, derived from the occupation of a cutter of cloth and is very common throughout Britain and abroad. It first appears in old Scots records c.1276 and the occurrence of the name Cissor/Scissor in some records has been equated with the trade and name. The word 'tailor' passed into Gaelic as 'taillear', and gave rise to the Highland surname, Mac-an-taillear, 'son of the tailor'. Alexander and John McKyntalyhur were declared rebels in 1392 for their part in a raid on Angus and the murder of Sir Walter Ogilvy. Until the end of the 18th century several families in Cowal named Mac-an-taillear regarded themselves as a branch of Clan Cameron and called themselves 'Clann an Taillear Duibh Chamronach'. Traditionally, the Taylors who are considered a sept of Clan Cameron claim to be descendants of a 16th century warrior named Taillear dubh na Tuaighe, 'The Black Taylor of the Axe', a natural son of the 14th Chief of Lochiel, who was renowned for his skill with the Lochaber Axe. There is a tradition amongst the MacLachlans of Cowal that their kinsmen in Lochaber gave refuge to the mighty axe-man and that he in fact died in Cowal. In most instances the name will have originated from the craft of tailoring, and therefore a direct genealogical trace would be required to establish a clan connection. Those who consider themselves members of Clan Cameron may wear any of the accepted Cameron tartans with the exception of the chief's personal sett, the red Cameron of Lochiel. There is distinct Taylor tartan designed in 1955 by Lt.Col. Iain.B. Cameron Taylor, its most prominent feature of which is the double black lines, said to represent the Black Taylor. There is also a marked similarity to the Hunting Cameron pattern. The Camerons have a long and proud heritage in Lochaber and that clan itself was made up from several native families, the MacMartins of Letterfinlay, the MacGillonies of Strone, and others, all of whom projected the history of the race back into the mists of antiquity. Their chiefs were the epitomy of their class and were staunch supporters of the Jacobite cause.

Jeannette Mahoney (Nee Taylor0
Thanks for that Andrew. My daughter named her daughter Cameron TAYLOR, never having heard of the Lt.Col. and has since married a scot surnamed Martin, presumably related to the MacMartins of Letterfinlay - Oh the incest!!

sandra whatley ne taylor
I am a Taylor with a familly tree would be nice to hear from anyone who is interested!!!

Dafydd Taylor
Hi would love to see a family tree. Where abouts are you from? My Taylors are from Lancashire (Adlington/Bolton area)

Allan Taylor
My Taylor family are all living in Wigan. I have 5 brothers. I moved to Cape Town many years ago and would love to find out more. I have a copy of my parents wedding certificate.

Dafydd Taylor
try the search on http://www.lan-opc.org.uk/ You can probably find their parents details and their grandparents etc.

Jenny Taylor Kimball
I have a relie from Lancashire, Samuel Taylor who had a wife and 2 daughters when he was transported to Oz for stealing 2 chickens. Would love to know if we are connected Jenny

Dafydd Taylor
Strongly recommend http://www.lan-opc.org.uk/ Has lots (centuries) of marriage, birth and burial records. If your family was catholic check the papist returns. Let me know if you find your man, we could always be related. There was plenty of theiving in my family!

rexel w. taylor
i would like to talk to you as well. im trying to get info on my family tree as whell. im from kentucky.

Rita
My mother's maiden name is Taylor from Kentucky. She was born in Tennessee.

James
I am a Taylor from western Ky

CAROL TAYLOR
im ah taylor to i dont no if we all come from tha same place but it would be nice to no if we did

rexel w. taylor
i am a taylor as whell and im trying to find out my family tree. it is kinda difficult with so many out there, my name is rexel woodrow taylor born august 20 1992 and i was born in owensboro kentucky.

girl taylor
my last name is taylor too :)

Andrew
Andrew Taylor :-)

rusty
Taylor; now that's a good name as a given or sir name

Jacob Taylor
My last name is Taylor as well. My grandpa is from Kentucky and I believe I had a great great grandfather named Edwin Tower Taylor. WOuld love to trace my roots back as far as possible and see what exact origin I am, Scottish, English, Irish, or what?

C
I'm a Taylor, and I have great grandfathers from Ireland and France.

Jasmine
Im a Taylor on the Isle of Wight!! :D I have a big family here!! :)

Laura
Im engaged to a Danny Taylor from Mississippi! From what he knows his Taylor family originate in the UK somewhere. Trying to find out more!

Crystal T
My name is Crystal Taylor and Im from Southern Missouri.i come from a big family also.:)

Miss Khem
My Grandfathers surname is Taylor..... He was a farmer in Trelawney, Jamaica (big family too)...... I'm basically trying to find out how he received that name.... which will more than likely have something to do whoever settled there from Europe & owned slaves.... a bit of a complex task. :(

Candice
Hi my Great Grandmother is a Taylor, Her father Is from Jamaica I was also tryin to find out more info. If any names look familiar plz reply. Nora Taylor or Signora William J Taylor or William John or John Taylor Josephina M Taylor or Martha

Miss Khem
Hi Candice, Do you know what part of Jamaica your Great Grandmothers father was from? I'll ask my mum if any of those names are familiar to her too :)

candice
Hey im so glad someone responded to my message. Im not sure i will look back through the census to see if it showed what part.

Jodianne
Hi candice, i'm in Jamaica, but my father is so secretive, so i don't know anything about his family. His name is Joseph A. Taylor... Just felt i should reply to you.

candice
Hi, I know John/William Taylor went by both of those names but he was born in the 1800's.

mary
My great-grandfather was E.C. Taylor. He and my Great-grandmother divorced a very long time ago. She is deceased and I would like to find out more about him. Their daughter (my grandmother) was Trillie Alberta Taylor. He is from Alabama, but lived in central Florida.

Amy Taylor
My married name is Taylor.....my maiden name was Snyder which means "tailor" so amazing!!!

Gaynor
Hello all you Taylors.I am researching my family tree and have come to a full stop at James Taylor born around 1800. Probably in the Warrington area. Any ideas? Gaynor.

amanda cutts
hya gaynor im a taylor and i lived in newton-le-willows which is near warrington, i dont recall any member of our family bein calles james but you never knw we could be related, i knw my grandad was called john taylor.

gaynor
Hiya Amanda. Thanks for replying.Martha was the first taylor in our family,her father was James.Martha married John Delooze of Warr.If the Delooze name has been mentioned in your family we are def. related.Are you doing Taylor family tree?

amanda
hya gaynor i would't knw were to start doin my family tree haha, so cunfusing i knw my cousins started doin one, i will ask my mum today see if she knows any of the names you've gave me i will let you knw later x

Fallon Taylor
Hi Taylors...another one here :D I have been researching my family tree for awhile now... have been very successful on the wilson & ravenscroft side, but not Taylor!! Which is very frustrating !! The brick wall starts with my gt grandad Thomas Taylor. Born 1886... links to preston and leyland in Lancashire. He married a Lilian Wilkinson. (Thomas's father was John Taylor,a farmer) If anyone else happens to have his or his fathers name in their tree please reply! :) F.Taylor.

Gaynor
Hiya. A good website is family searh.org. you might find some good details. Also freebmd. I bet you have tried them all though. It is frustrating! Gaynor.

Mick
Any Taylors in Ashton-Under-Lyne in Lancashire ?

Mike
My grandmother was a Taylor from Ashton. Her sister was a Taylor who married a Taylor!

Alan William Taylor
My mum is Maureen Taylor Married William Alan Taylor in 65, (divorced early 70s). Mums parents where Lilly And Fred Taylor. All hail from Huyton , Liverpool area.

Jacob Taylor
Can't get over how many Taylor's there are in England....really wish I could get my family tracked back far enough. Not paying for a subscription on ancestry.com though. Maybe someday I'll be able to afford a trip to England and visit some of you that are distant relatives!! All of you take care!!

Darlene Taylor
My family name is Taylor; my Father, Walter, his father Walter, and my Great Grandfather, William trace their name back to Guisborough, North Yorkshire where William's Father Benjamin owned a Pub called the Bull Inn. I know the name Taylor was very common in Yorkshire as Leeds/Bradford had a clothing centre from the Middle ages. I also know that the Bronte sister's had a friend Mary Taylor.

Margaret
Hi Darlene, My father John Carlton Taylor was the illegitimate son of Lord Guisborough. Strange that your family also come from Guisborough. Do you have any other info? Maybe we cousins or something. Margaret

Peter Taylor
Hi Darlene. My name is Taylor too. I had an uncle Walter who had a son called Walter. Unfortunately i don't know the name of his kids. Walter Taylor's father (my grandfather) was called John Henry Taylor and his father was called Benjamin. the later ones lived in the sheffield area and earlier ones from burslem in staffordshire. Maybe we are not related but we certainly have a lot of names in common. I also know that some of my relatives lived in the bradford area but so far i have not researched this. contact me if you want to compare trees. regards

Eleanor Taylor
I have been doing my family tree and my Taylor family lived in Leeds until the 1840's and then they moved to Pontefract, Yorkshire and stayed until the early 1900's when they moved to nearby Goole. I'm lucky that I have our family bible from 1771 with our family tree hand recorded in it from then onwards.

Margaret
My maiden name is Taylor. Born in Stockton On Tees in 1944. Father John Carlton Taylor. I have limited info on my grandparents and would love to do some research into my families past. Margaret Jennifer Taylor

gaynor
Hiya Margaret. Try family search.org and free bmd. You only need a couple of leads to get going.