| ![Show Contents]() Ayer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of AyerWhat does the name Ayer mean? The ancient Anglo-Saxon culture once found in Britain is the soil from which the many generations of the Ayer family have grown. The name Ayer was given to a member of the family who was a person who was well-known as the heir to a title, fortune, or estate. The name is thought to be derived from the Old French eir, which is itself derived from the Latin heres, meaning "heir." 1 2 3 Two other sources elude to the Norman influence of the name: "Eyre: is a place-name in Normandy," 4 and the name is "from Le Heir, Heres. William and Wyrnarc Heres occur in Normandy 1198 (Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae)." 5 Early Origins of the Ayer familyThe surname Ayer was first found in Derbyshire, where the ancestral home of the main branch of the Ayer family is thought to be located. Early written records of the name Ayer have been found in many counties, notably Derbyshire, Wiltshire, and Shropshire. The Feet of Fines for Essex for 1208 includes an entry for Ralph le Eir and later, Robertus Heres was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls for Cambridgeshire in 1220. In Cambridgeshire, we found Robert leyre in the Feet of Fines for 1245 and in Gloucestershire, Richard le Heyer was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls for 1274. In Yorkshire, early records show Adam le Hayre at Wakefield in 1275 and a few years later, Robert le Heir was listed at Eynsham, Oxfordshire in 1281. 6 In the early legends of the Eyre family, it was recounted that a Knight named Eyre who fought with Richard the Lionheart at the Battle of Ascalon during the Crusades lost a leg while defending his King, which is why the family still bears a booted leg in its crest. 2 Another source, mentions that the traditional origin of the name was in circumstance of a Norman knight having at the Battle of Hastings succoured (helped) duke William of Normandy and given him air when he was in danger of suffocation. 7 "The Eyres appear as witnesses to charters in the Peak of Derbyshire in the remotest period to which private charters ascend. The first of the name known is William le Eyre, of Hope, in the reign of Henry III." 8 The chapel in Great Longstone, Derbyshire contains monuments to the "family of Eyre, earls of Newburgh." 9 The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 include entries for: Henry le Eyer, Oxfordshire; Adam le Eyr, Cambridgeshire; and William le Eyre, Cambridgeshire. 1 Early History of the Ayer familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ayer research. Another 112 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1216, 1582, 1585, 1628, 1635, 1638, 1657, 1659, 1660, 1661, 1662, 1665, 1666, 1670, 1678, 1680, 1689, 1693, 1695, 1698, 1700, 1701, 1705, 1712, 1715, 1729, 1735 and 1768 are included under the topic Early Ayer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Ayer Spelling VariationsSound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Ayer family name include Eyre, Eyer, Eyers, Eayres, Eyres, Ayer, Ayers,Heyer, Ayr, Air, Aires, Hyer, Hayer, Hoyer and many more. Early Notables of the Ayer familyNotables of the family at this time include - John Ayer (1582-1657), an English settler to Massachusetts sailing aboard the ship James in 1635, settling in Ipswich, Haverhill, and Salisbury, born in Salisbury, Wiltshire
Ayer RankingIn the United States, the name Ayer is the 7,630th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 10 Migration of the Ayer family to IrelandSome of the Ayer family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 119 words (8 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Ayer migration to the United States | + |
For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Ayer surname or a spelling variation of the name include :
Ayer Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- John Ayer, who was on record in Massachusetts in 1635
- Simon Ayer, his wife Dorothy and their eight children, who all settled in Massachusetts in 1635
- John Ayer, who arrived in Massachusetts in 1640
- Henry Ayer, who immigrated to Rhode Island in 1655
- Peter Ayer, who settled in New England in 1666
| Contemporary Notables of the name Ayer (post 1700) | + |
- Nathaniel Davis Ayer (1887-1952), American (British born) composer of popular music
- David Ayer (b. 1968), American screenwriter
- Fred M. Ayer, American Republican politician, Member of Alaska Territorial Senate 2nd District, 1923-26 11
- Francis B. Ayer, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from New Hampshire, 1868 11
- F Wayland Ayer, American Republican politician, Candidate for Presidential Elector for New Jersey, 1912 11
- Edward Perkins Ayer (1862-1935), American Republican politician, Minister; Candidate for Connecticut State House of Representatives from Easton, 1902 11
- Donald B. Ayer (b. 1949), American politician, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California, 1981-86 11
- David Andrew Ayer (b. 1953), American Republican politician, Mechanic; Delegate to Republican National Convention from Vermont, 2004 11
- Daniel Ayer, American politician, Representative from New York 17th District, 1876 11
- B. Frederick Ayer, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Maine, 1960 11
- ... (Another 15 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Virtus sola invicta
Motto Translation: Virtue alone is invincible.
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
- Dixon, Bernard Homer, Surnames. London: John Wilson and son, 1857. Print
- Baring-Gould S., Family Names and their Story. London: Seeley, Service & Co. Limited, 1913. Print
- The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 6) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
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