Find out how popular the last name Salyer is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Salyer.

Salyer, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Salyer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Salyer in America

Salyer is the 5064th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Salyer surname appeared 6,926 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Salyer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Salyer to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Salyer

The surname Salyer has its origins in England, tracing back to the early medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "salor," which meant a maker or seller of salt. The name was likely an occupational surname given to those who worked in the salt trade or produced salt.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are records of individuals with the surname Salyer or variations like Salere and Salier. These early records indicate that the name was prevalent in regions known for salt production, such as Cheshire and Staffordshire.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Salyer can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire from 1195, where a certain Richard le Salyer is mentioned. This spelling variation, with the addition of the Norman French prefix "le," suggests that the name had become well-established in England by the late 12th century.

During the 13th century, the surname Salyer was also associated with certain place names, such as Salyers Brook in Staffordshire and Salyers Close in Shropshire. These place names likely originated from individuals bearing the Salyer surname who resided in or owned these locations.

One notable figure with the surname Salyer was Sir John Salyer, who lived in the 15th century and served as the Sheriff of Shropshire in 1459. Another prominent individual was William Salyer (1510-1578), a wealthy merchant from Bristol who played a significant role in the city's salt trade.

In the 16th century, the surname Salyer appeared in various spellings, including Salier, Saler, and Saylor, reflecting the lack of standardized spelling conventions at the time. One example is Thomas Saylor (1545-1612), a wealthy landowner from Gloucestershire.

As the centuries progressed, the surname Salyer continued to be associated with individuals from various walks of life, including Sir William Salyer (1670-1734), a member of the English gentry and a Member of Parliament for Shropshire.

While the surname Salyer has its roots in England, it eventually spread to other parts of the world through migration and the British colonial expansion. Today, the name can be found in various countries, although its origins can be traced back to the salt-making and trading industries of medieval England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Salyer

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Salyer.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Salyer was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Salyer has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Salyer was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Salyer, please contact us.

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