This surname is derived from an occupation. -From the Olde French, tailleur, a cutter of cloth. It is now understood that tailor shall be the trade-name, and Taylor and Tayler the surname. The early rolls are full of instances, and as a result Taylor is the fourth commonest patronymic in England, giving precedence only to Smith, Jones, and Williams. The Hundred Rolls (1273) have the following variations: Taillar, Taillour, Taillur, Tailur, Taliur, Taliur, Tallyur, Talur, Talyur, Tayler, Tayllour, Tayllur, Taylour, and Taylur.

Henry le Taliur, Norfolk, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

Cecil le Tayllour, Cambridgeshire ibid.

Roger le Taylur, Lincolnshire, ibid.

Richard le Taylor, Northamptonshire, ibid.

1593. Baptised — Abel, s. John Tailor: St. Peter, Cornhill.

1700. Witnesses to marriage, Elizabeth Tayfar, Richard Tayler: St. George, Hanover Square.

1802. Married — Robert Julian and Mary Taylar: ibid.

From the occupation of 'tailor,' a cutter-out of cloth, ME. taillour AF. taillour, OF. tailleur, 'the cutter, from OF. tailler, 'to cut.' in Latin documents rendered cissor. A very common name in early Scots records. Alexander le Tayllur was valet of Alexander m in 1276 (Bain, II, 76). John le Taillur held the mill of Selkirk as firmar, 1292 (Rot. Scot., I, p. 80), and Brice le Taillur was one of the Scottish prisoners taken at the capture of Dunbar Castle, 1296 (Bain, II, 742). Six persons of this name in the counties of Roxburgh, Dumfries, Edinburgh, Lanark, and Angus rendered homage, 1296 (Bain, II). John Cissor was tenant of Balgirdane in the barony of Buittle, Adam Cissor in barony of Newlands, and Andrew Cissor in the vill of Preston, 1376 (RHM, I, p. lx, lxi II, p. 16). Johannes Cissor in the parish of Fyvy was excommunicated, 1384 (REA., I, p. 165). William Scissor held a tenement in Edinburgh, 1392 (Egidii, p. 27), and Walter Cissor had grant of half the land of Glorat from David II (RMS, I, App. II, 1137, 1183). Alexander Scissorus, 'armigerus meus, 1344 (REA, I, p. 75). Donald Scissor and Bricius Scissor were witnesses in Inverness, 1462 (Invernessiana, p. 141), and Arthur Scissor in Perth, 1463, is mentioned in same year as Arthur Tailzoure (Milne, p. 52, 53). A grave slab in Dundee records "hic iacet Joannes filivs Philippi Cissoris," with a pair of scissors and a bodkin (Jervise, Memorials, p. 29). The Toillear dubh na tuaighe (Black tailor of the battle-axe) is a semi-legendary figure in Cameron traditions. Tailer 1649, Tailleur 1296, Taillor 1408, Tailliovr 1608, Tailliour 1588, Taillur 1296, Taillyer and Taillyeor 1655, Taillzier 1660, Tailyeour 1593, Tailzieor and Tailhieour 1662, Talyeor 1694, Talyhour 1453, Talyowr 1430, Talzeor 1655. Talzeour 1493, Talzior 1494, Talzour 1540, Talzoure 1467, Tayliour 1661, Tayllur 1296, Taylyhour 1430, Taylyour 1419, Taylowre 1688, Taylzowr 1525, Telvour 1534, Thailzor 1472, Thalzeour 1484, Tyllour 1720. In many instances an Anglicizing of Macintaylor, which see.

The well-known trade-sartor. The commonness of the occupation has led to the frequency of the surname, which, according to the XVI. Report of the Regist. Gen., 1856, stands fourth in the list of the most common family names in England and Wales, giving precedence only to Smith, Jones, and Williams. Allowing for the great preponderance of the Joneses and Williamses in Wales, where surnames are so few, Taylor may fairly challenge the right of standing next to Smith for numerosity in England, the state of the poll for births, deaths, and marriages, within a given short period, being —

A name of trade. We find this name modified to Tayleure, the orthography having been changed by the bearers to hide what they thought the lowness of its origin. So Smith is changed to Smyth, Turner to Turnour, etc.—as Camden says, "Mollified ridiculously lest their bearers should seem villified by them."

A Mr. Taylor, who, from this false pride, had changed his name to Tayleure, once haughtily demanding of a farmer the name of his dog, the man replied, "Why, sir, his proper name is Jowler, but since he's a consequential kind of puppy, we calls him Jouleure!"

Taylor. —Distributed all over England, but comparatively scarce in all the south coast counties, excluding Kent. In the English counties, near and on the Scottish border, it is also relatively infrequent, yet it extends in fair numbers across the border, and is found over most of Scotland. In Wales it is rare or absent. Its principal homes in England are to be found in the great industrial counties of Lancashire, Derbyshire, Notts, and Warwickshire, and in the West Riding. It is also numerous in Lincolnshire. Six centuries ago this surname occurred in various forms, as Taylir, Taylur, Tayllour, etc. (Hundred Rolls).