KAISER
Kaiser is a surname of German origin that has a long and well documented history. The name derives from the German word Kaiser, which translates as emperor and which in turn is ultimately derived from the Latin title Caesar that was used in Ancient Rome as both a status title and a family name.
The surname is first recorded as an occupational designation for an individual who worked in the service of an emperor or who held a position of authority within an imperial court. The use of the title as an occupational marker also allowed the name to be applied to actors who portrayed imperial figures on the medieval stage, and it has been suggested that it could also have served as a nickname for a person with an imperious manner. The name has no proven connection with the Roman imperial family, as there are no extant records that could confirm any such relationship.
Early forms of the surname appear in England. The earliest documented spelling is that of Henry le Caisere, dated 1172 in the Pipe Rolls of Warwickshire during the reign of King Henry the First, who ruled from 1154 to 1189. Other early references include William le Keiser in the abbey register of Oseney, Oxford, in 1195, and Simon le Cayser in the Hundred Rolls of Oxford in 1273. The medieval poem Piers Plowman also contains the line “Kynges and Knyghtes, Kaysers and Popes, all to power ascrybe,” illustrating the contemporary use of the term.
There are at least forty spelling variants of the surname, including Cayser, Keyser, Cayzer, de Keyser, Keijser, Cisar, Cisec, Csaszar, Cesaric, Kezourec, Tsaryov, Tsarvic and many others. All modern forms can trace their origins back to the Old High German term keisar, which itself evolved from the Roman title.
In modern times the surname is fairly common in German‑speaking countries. Through immigration it has spread to many other parts of the world, and it can also occasionally be found as a given name. The name retains its original meaning in contemporary usage, and its historical ties to imperial authority remain a notable feature of its heritage.
Typical given names associated with the Kaiser surname
Male
- Alexander
- Andrew
- Anthony
- Christian
- John
- Jonathan
- Mark
- Matthew
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Stuart
Female
- Anna
- Birgit
- Caroline
- Elizabeth
- Harriet
- Jennifer
- Julie
- Kathleen
- Margaret
- Sarah
- Stephanie
- Susan
- Susanne
Similar and related surnames
- Caeser
- Caiser
- Casar
- Caser
- Caseres
- Casero
- Casery
- Casier
- Casiero
- Cassar
- Casser
- Cassera
- Cassere
- Cassier
- Cayser
- Cayzer
- Cazer
- Cazier
- Cazzer
- Cosier
- Couser
- Kaeser
- Kaesser
- Kaisar
- Kaisary
- Kaise
- Kaisser
- Kaizer
- Kaizra
- Kasar
- Kaser
- Kasera
- Kasher
- Kasiera
- Kasiri
- Kasirye
- Kassar
- Kassara
- Kasser
- Kassier
- Kassir
- Kassira
- Kassiri
- Kauser
- Kawser
- Kayser
- Kaysor
- Kayzer
- Kazar
- Kazaure
- Kazer
- Kazior
- Keazor
- Keiser
- Keizer
- Kesar
- Keser
- Kessar
- Kesser
- Kesur
- Keyser
- Keysor
- Keyzar
- Keyzer
- Kezar
- Khasar
- Khazir
- Kieser
- Kisser
- Koasar
- Koser
- Kosier
- Kosser
- Kousar
- Kyzer
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Kaiser in...
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There are approximately 635 people named Kaiser in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around ten in a million people in Britain are named Kaiser.
Region of origin: Europe
Country of origin: Germany
Language of origin: German
