TAYLOR
Taylor is a common English surname whose origins lie in the occupational name for a tailor. The term is derived from the medieval job description of a person who cut, sewed and altered clothing, and it was originally recorded as a descriptor of a trade rather than a hereditary family name.
The etymology of the name is rooted in the Old French word tailleur, meaning “cutter‑out of cloth”. Although the surname is English, its linguistic source is French, and the spelling Taylor became established in England after the 12th century. Early documentary evidence includes William le Taillur in the Pipe Rolls of Somerset (1182) and Roger le Taylur in the Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire (1273). The oldest known spelling, Walter Taylur, appears in the Canterbury Cathedral records dated 1180 during the reign of King Henry II.
In contemporary England the surname Taylor ranks second only to Smith in frequency. Its prevalence has been augmented over the centuries by the adoption of English equivalents for foreign occupational surnames such as the German Schneider, the Hungarian Szabo, and the Russian Portnov, which entered Britain primarily as refugee names.
Notable bearers of the name include Zackary Taylor (1784‑1850), the 12th president of the United States, who was a distinguished soldier involved in the Texas struggle for independence, and Jane Taylor (1783‑1824), a celebrated poet and children’s author best known for the verses “Twinkle, twinkle, little star”.
The surname therefore exemplifies a linguistic and social trajectory from a medieval occupational label to one of the most widespread family names in the British Isles, reflecting both native artisan traditions and the integration of continental naming practices.
Typical given names associated with the Taylor surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Helen
- Julie
- Karen
- Margaret
- Mary
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Deller
- Dowler
- Taaylor
- Taeler
- Tailer
- Tailor
- Talar
- Talary
- Taler
- Taller
- Tallier
- Tallor
- Talluri
- Talor
- Talory
- Talour
- Talyer
- Talylor
- Talyor
- Taulor
- Tayelor
- Taylar
- Tayler
- Tayleur
- Tayleure
- Tayllor
- Taylo
- Tayloer
- Tayloor
- Taylord
- Taylore
- Taylors
- Taylory
- Taylour
- Tayloy
- Taylr
- Tayulor
- Tealer
- Teelor
- Teler
- Teller
- Tellier
- Tellor
- Tellyer
- Teyler
- Teylor
- Thaylor
- Tillier
- Tyalor
- Tytler
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Taylor in...
Braille
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Morse
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Semaphore
Did you know?
According to a survey carried out by Democracy Club, politicians and candidates with the surname Taylor are most likely to say that their favourite biscuit is a Fig Roll.
There are approximately 342,686 people named Taylor in the UK. That makes it the 5th most common surname in Britain. Around 5,262 in a million people in Britain are named Taylor.
Surname type: Occupational name
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Taylor
- Elizabeth Taylor - -American actress, businesswoman, and humanitarian (1932 to 2011)
- Natasha Abigail Taylor - Actress
- Holland Taylor - American actress
- Anya Taylor-Joy - -American-Argentine actress
- Noah Taylor - -born Australian actor and musician
- Roger Taylor - Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist
- Phil Taylor - Darts player
- Phil Taylor - Rock drummer (1954 to 2015)
- Josh Taylor - Scottish amateur boxer
- Mick Taylor - Rock musician, former member of The Rolling Stones
- Rufus Tiger Taylor - Musician
- John Taylor - Musician and member of Duran Duran
- James Taylor - American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- Sarah Taylor - England women cricketer
- Ellie Taylor - TV presenter
- Lady Helen Taylor - Noble
- Elaine Taylor - Actress
- Graham Taylor - Football player and manager (1944 to 2017)
- Lyle Taylor - Football player
- Andy Taylor - Guitarist best known as a member of Duran Duran
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.