# Occupational surnames: why is "Taylor" the only one that's spelled "wrong"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 18, 2018, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupational-surnames-why-is-taylor-the-only-one-thats-spelled-wrong/814399 "2018-05-18T14:14:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2018, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupational-surnames-why-is-taylor-the-only-one-thats-spelled-wrong/814399/61 "2018-05-20T07:04:51Z")
I feel the need to mention that the -ster at the end of my user name does not make me female. I was feeling shaky that day and that’s the variation I found that wasn’t taken. If it was easy to change it to something more meaningful, I’d change it. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2018, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupational-surnames-why-is-taylor-the-only-one-thats-spelled-wrong/814399/62 "2018-05-20T07:09:49Z")
You can ask the mods for a change of name; there’s several people who changed them for different reasons, and even one who changed his and changed it back. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2018, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupational-surnames-why-is-taylor-the-only-one-thats-spelled-wrong/814399/63 "2018-05-20T07:18:40Z")
> [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](#): > > And another: > > Clark from clerk The Brits even now pronounce “clerk” as “clark.” ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2018, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupational-surnames-why-is-taylor-the-only-one-thats-spelled-wrong/814399/64 "2018-05-20T08:53:29Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > You can ask the mods for a change of name; there’s several people who changed them for different reasons, and even one who changed his and changed it back. Still probably more effort than it’s worth. It doesn’t bother me that much. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2018, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupational-surnames-why-is-taylor-the-only-one-thats-spelled-wrong/814399/65 "2018-05-20T12:58:26Z")
> [@Shakester](#): > > I feel the need to mention that the -ster at the end of my user name does not make me female. I was feeling shaky that day and that’s the variation I found that wasn’t taken. If it was easy to change it to something more meaningful, I’d change it. The “-ster” was originally grammatically feminine but it hasn’t meant that the holder is a woman for many centuries. So you have nothing to worry about. Check the etymonline link I posted before. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2018, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupational-surnames-why-is-taylor-the-only-one-thats-spelled-wrong/814399/66 "2018-05-20T13:25:16Z")
> [@Shakester](#): > > I feel the need to mention that the -ster at the end of my user name does not make me female. I was feeling shaky that day and that’s the variation I found that wasn’t taken. If it was easy to change it to something more meaningful, I’d change it. I had never even thought of -ster indicating female. Now, if were -ess or -ette, that’s a different story. Interesting to hear that it does etymologically go back to a feminine ending, though. These days, I just think of it as in words like “hipster” or “gangster” or “mobster.” No feminine connotations at all. Off the top of my head, the only -ster word I could think of that is explicitly feminine is “spinster.” ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupational-surnames-why-is-taylor-the-only-one-thats-spelled-wrong/814399/67 "2018-05-22T09:12:43Z")
Yep - try telling[Ice-T](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O.G._Original_Gangster) he’s feminine… ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupational-surnames-why-is-taylor-the-only-one-thats-spelled-wrong/814399/68 "2018-05-22T09:40:25Z")
Saylor is a really common name in Indiana. Is it derived from “Sailor”? I never thought about it being like Taylor/Tailor before-- I always assumed it probably came from “Seller,” as in like, a cashier in a store in the pre-cash register days. Or maybe an itinerant merchant of some kind. Anyone know where that name comes from? How old is it? I know lots of people from this area with that name, but I’ve never met someone who lives in a coastal area with it, which is another reason it might not come from “Sailor,” albeit, people do move a lot. ---
**Author:** ![kk\_fusion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kk_fusion/32/15276_2.png) [@kk\_fusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kk_fusion)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupational-surnames-why-is-taylor-the-only-one-thats-spelled-wrong/814399/69 "2018-05-22T10:00:03Z")
Could be a variation of _Seiler_ – a ropemaker. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupational-surnames-why-is-taylor-the-only-one-thats-spelled-wrong/814399/70 "2018-05-22T10:25:52Z")
> [@Nathanial](#): > > I remember this coming up when we were taught about the “professions as last names” things in school— why aren’t more people named Farmer, something that must have been one of the most common occupations? Because there’s not much point in giving someone a name based on a characteristic which he shares with a large proportion of his community; you want to name him after a _distinctive_ characteristic. So you only get called “John the farmer” if the fact that you are a farmer is at least somewhat remarkable. If you are surrounded by farmers you’ll find you get called “red-haired John”, or “left-handed John” or whatever. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupational-surnames-why-is-taylor-the-only-one-thats-spelled-wrong/814399/71 "2018-05-22T21:10:47Z")
> [@excavating\_for\_a\_mind](#): > > A few more > Eisenhower from Iron Worker > Wainwright from Wagon Builder > Boatwright from Boat Builder > Hooker from, uh…, Fisherman. Yeah, that’s it! > [@silenus](#): > > Or a crochetist. “Hooker” is (or was) also a job description in logging, as well. > [@Jacquernagy](#): > > And anyway it’s more badass to be named after a mace. Martel? I’m apparently named for a deity. “Osborne” from the Old Norse “Asbjørn”, literally “god bear” - it refers to the [cave bear](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cave_bear), which was worshiped as a deity by some primitive cultures. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupational-surnames-why-is-taylor-the-only-one-thats-spelled-wrong/814399/72 "2018-05-22T21:28:56Z")
> [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > I’m apparently named for a deity. “Osborne” from the Old Norse “Asbjørn”, literally “god bear” - it refers to the [cave bear](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cave_bear), which was worshiped as a deity by some primitive cultures. That’s a good description of Ozzy. Yes, I know he spells it Osbourne with a “u”. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupational-surnames-why-is-taylor-the-only-one-thats-spelled-wrong/814399/73 "2018-05-22T23:24:59Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > That’s a good description of Ozzy. Yes, I know he spells it Osbourne with a “u”. Osborne, Osbourne, Osborn, Osburn, etc., all the same name with the same derivation. “Asbjørn” was apparently pronounced “OOS-bern”, more or less. ---
**Author:** ![MarvinKitFox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ba0ec/32.png) [@MarvinKitFox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MarvinKitFox)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2018, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupational-surnames-why-is-taylor-the-only-one-thats-spelled-wrong/814399/74 "2018-05-23T06:13:28Z")
> [@Jacquernagy](#): > > But all the other “occupational” names are spelled with the current spelling. Smith, Baker, Carpenter, Barber, Weaver, and so on. Smythe? Clark? or many many many more. > [@Jacquernagy](#): > > But I’ve never met, or even read about, anyone with the last name “Tailor.” It’s always “Taylor” with a Y. Because you haven’t been out, much. Just in the US there are 1274 registered with “Tailor” as surname. Worldwide, 40000 or so. > [@Jacquernagy](#): > > Why? Lack of education/imagination by the OP ---
**Author:** ![Moris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moris/32/2846_2.png) [@Moris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moris)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2018, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupational-surnames-why-is-taylor-the-only-one-thats-spelled-wrong/814399/75 "2018-05-23T16:49:23Z")
> [@Jacquernagy](#): > > Other somewhat tangential occupational-name questions: > > Are these kind of names common in non-European cultures? I don’t know about non-European cultures, but they’re common in other European cultures. For example, Kovač/Kovach/Kovacs means blacksmith and it’s common in Hungarian and some Slavic languages. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2018, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupational-surnames-why-is-taylor-the-only-one-thats-spelled-wrong/814399/76 "2018-05-23T17:09:12Z")
> [@MarvinKitFox](#): > > Because you haven’t been out, much. > > … > Lack of education/imagination by the OP **Moderator Note** Let’s refrain from insulting remarks directed at other posters. No warning issued, but don’t do this again. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2018, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupational-surnames-why-is-taylor-the-only-one-thats-spelled-wrong/814399/77 "2018-05-24T14:47:28Z")
Another quite famous one, esp. in Scotland: Stewart/Stuart meaning Steward. - According to Wikipedia, the “w” got replaced by “u” to prevent their French allies from pronouncing it “Stevart”. ---
**Author:** ![Lazy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9fc29f/32.png) [@Lazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lazy)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2018, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupational-surnames-why-is-taylor-the-only-one-thats-spelled-wrong/814399/78 "2018-05-24T23:08:09Z")
> [@Jacquernagy](#): > > Other somewhat tangential occupational-name questions: > > Everyone with the last name “Knight” can’t literally have been actual knights, because you can’t just be born as a knight, you have to earn that title, so who was the first to adopt that name? Some poser? I think it is unlikely that most (or perhaps even any) of the people who adopted “Knight” as a surname were actually knights. People at that level of society, if they didn’t have a surname already, were likely to use the name of the place where their main piece of property was located. It is more likely that the original adopters were associated with knights in a more indirect way: a servant of one, a bastard of one, an actor who regularly portrayed one in a traveling show. Some surnames are even thought to have originated as put downs (“Mayor” for someone who was bossy, for example.) ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2018, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupational-surnames-why-is-taylor-the-only-one-thats-spelled-wrong/814399/79 "2018-05-25T13:48:30Z")
I recently read a book on James Taylor. His ancestry is Scottish, and the name was originally spelled “Tailyeor.” However, none of his ancestors seem to have been tailors. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2018, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupational-surnames-why-is-taylor-the-only-one-thats-spelled-wrong/814399/80 "2018-05-25T16:08:07Z")
> [@MarvinKitFox](#): > > Smythe? Clark? or many many many more… Don’t forget Psmith, the multi-talented character who, confoundingly enough considering OP, was a bank clerk at one point. (The “P” is pronounced as in “ptarmigan.”) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupational-surnames-why-is-taylor-the-only-one-thats-spelled-wrong/814399.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupational-surnames-why-is-taylor-the-only-one-thats-spelled-wrong/814399.md?page=5)