The Gaylor surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 3,382 people carried this name — #9,609 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 87,000 people counted. That is down 7% from 3,655 in 2000.

Look up another surname

Share

What the name means

The meaning of the Gaylor surname

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a name of office: ‘the gaoler’.

An early record he cites: Adam le Gaoler, Norfolk, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

His entry covers Galer, Gayler and Gaylor.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 305 · public domain.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

32 families named Gaylor, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 163 people lived in those households, 5.1 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 9 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Connecticut 15
New York 4
Pennsylvania 4
North Carolina 4
South Carolina 2
Vermont 1
Massachusetts 1
Maryland 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 241 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Gaylor in American newspapers,
1899–1920.

Newspaper page from Daily Inter Mountain carrying the name Gaylor
Daily Inter Mountain 1899-04-15
Newspaper page from The County Record carrying the name Gaylor
The County Record 1920-11-04
Newspaper page from The Montgomery Advertiser carrying the name Gaylor
The Montgomery Advertiser 1905-03-09

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 13,647 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Gaylor in Australian newspapers,
1830s–1990s.

3,292 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Gaylor. The most, 638, date from the 1910s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Tasmania, at 5.5 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Tasmania 1,569
Victoria 681
Queensland 507
New South Wales 303
Western Australia 134
South Australia 78
ACT (Canberra) 15
Northern Territory 1

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Gaylor.

Who carried it

People named Gaylor,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Andrew Jackson Gaylor 1849–1921 · park ranger
  • Wood Gaylor 1883–1957 · artist
  • Charles Allen Gaylor 1888–1959 · writer
  • Alan B. Gaylor 1926–2008 · businessperson
  • Hal Gaylor 1929–2015 · composer
  • Anna Gaylor 1932–2021 · actor

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Gaylor,
in the records of 5 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States337 records

337 records of the Gaylor name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 132
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 100
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 48
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 23
  • New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 16
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 14
  • Sacramento County historic burials 2
  • Irish Famine arrivals at New York, 1846–1851 1
  • U.S. service members who died in the Vietnam War 1
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Kenneth A. Gaylor

    Born 1919 in Virginia. Enlisted 1942 at Charlottesville; construction laborer. U.S. Army Air Forces veteran of World War II; died 1998, buried at Thornrose Cemetery, Staunton, Virginia.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Gerald H. Gaylor

    Born 1930; from Melbourne, Florida. U.S. Army, wire systems installer; killed in action 1966 in South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Elimar Gaylor

    Arrived at New York in 1887 aboard the Ems from Bremen and Southampton, aged 42; tourist. From London, Germany.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 337 records for Gaylor in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia227 records

227 records of the Gaylor name in Australia
  • Tasmanian Names Index 113
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 57
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 37
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 15
  • State Library of Western Australia indexes 3
  • Canberra cemetery and marriage records 1
  • NSW convict, estate and railway indexes 1
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record James Gaylor

    Died 1907 in Parliament St, Sandy Bay, Tasmania. Will registered in Tasmania in 1907.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Mary Ann Gaylor

    Born 1846 in Hobart, Tasmania. Died 1895 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 49.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Albert Edward Gaylor

    Born 1872 in Hobart, Tasmania. Married 1897 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 24.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 227 records for Gaylor in Australia.

Counts: Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

United Kingdom4 records

4 records of the Gaylor name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 3
  • Stirling Council burial records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Baxter Gaylor

    Buried in 1964 at Killearn Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland, aged 60.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record H. Gaylor

    Duke of Wellington's Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record R. Gaylor

    Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 4 records for Gaylor in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand3 records

3 records of the Gaylor name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 2
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Sidney George Gaylor

    Died 1971, aged 72; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record H. Gaylor

    Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Pretoria Minnie Gaylor

    Died 1959, aged 58; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Livre d’or of the war dead, Paris, Ministère des pensions, Archives nationales (CC0).

Canada2 records

2 records of the Gaylor name in Canada
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 1
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 1
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Albert Gaylor

    Buried in 1975 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  2. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record William Gaylor

    Died in service in 1917.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Counts: City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Gaylor.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Gaylor is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Gaylor volume
Scroll to Top