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

Saylor, 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 Saylor surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Saylor in America

Saylor is the 2276th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Saylor surname appeared 16,010 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Saylor.

We can also compare 2010 data for Saylor 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 Saylor

The surname Saylor has its origins in the early Middle Ages, emerging from the Old French word "saillor" or "saillour," which means "leaper" or "dancer." This name likely originated in northern France or Normandy around the 11th or 12th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where a person named Richard le Saillur was listed as a landowner in Lincolnshire, England. The name was likely brought to England by Norman settlers after the Norman Conquest of 1066.

Over time, the name evolved and took on various spellings, such as Saylor, Saylour, Sailor, and Saylir. These variations were influenced by regional dialects and local scribes' interpretations of the name.

During the 13th century, the name Saylor was found in records from the county of Leicestershire, England. One notable example is Walter le Saillur, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Leicestershire in 1212.

In the 14th century, the surname Saylor appeared in several locations across England. For instance, William Saylir was recorded in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1334, while John Saylour was mentioned in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1380.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals bearing the surname Saylor. One such person was Christopher Saylor (1629-1691), an early American settler and landowner in Pennsylvania. Another was Michael Saylor (born 1965), an American entrepreneur and the co-founder of the software company MicroStrategy.

Other notable individuals with the surname Saylor include:

1. George Saylor (1804-1879), an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania.
2. Mary Saylor (1853-1927), an American educator and the first woman elected to the board of trustees of Franklin and Marshall College.
3. John Saylor (1925-2014), an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania.
4. Ralph Saylor (1891-1966), an American baseball player who played for the Philadelphia Athletics and the St. Louis Browns in the early 20th century.

The surname Saylor has a rich history dating back to the medieval period, with its origins rooted in the Old French language and likely originating in northern France or Normandy. Over the centuries, it has been carried by individuals across various walks of life, from landowners and settlers to politicians, educators, and athletes.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Saylor

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

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 Saylor 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 Saylor 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 Saylor was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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