Show ContentsKiser History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Kiser

What does the name Kiser mean?

The name Kiser is rooted in the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It was originally a name for someone who worked as a person who worked as a maker of cuishes, which were pieces of armour to protect the thigh. 1 2

The name is derived from the French word cuisse, meaning the thigh or by extension the Old French word cuissaux which denotes 'cuisses, armour for the thighs.' 3

Early Origins of the Kiser family

The surname Kiser was first found in London where William Kisere was recorded 1224-1226. Later, Richard le Kissere was recorded in 1288 and later again, the Subsidy Rolls for London listed Hugh le Kysser, le Cussere, le Kisehere in 1292, 1294 and 1307 respectively. Further to the north in Yorkshire, Margaret Cusser was listed in 1298. 4

The source "Riley's Memorials of London," lists Walter de Bedefont, kissere, London and Richard le Kissere. 3

Early History of the Kiser family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kiser research. Another 87 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1224, 1288, 1292, 1298, 1738, 1750 and 1754 are included under the topic Early Kiser History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kiser Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Kiser are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Kiser include Kisser, Kisere, Kissa, Kissere, Kysser, Cussere, Kishere and many more.

Early Notables of the Kiser family

More information is included under the topic Early Kiser Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kiser Ranking

In the United States, the name Kiser is the 1,882nd most popular surname with an estimated 17,409 people with that name. 5


Kiser migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Kiser or a variant listed above:

Kiser Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Ananias Krafft Kiser, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1732
  • Christoph Kiser, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1732
  • Christoff Kiser, who settled in Philadelphia in 1732
  • Susan Kiser, aged 29, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1732 6
  • Lorentz Kiser, who landed in North Carolina in 1737 6
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Kiser Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John Albright Kiser, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1838 6
  • Andrew Kiser, who settled in Indiana sometime between 1846 and 1852
  • Peter Kiser, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1848 6
  • J L Kiser, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 6
  • Christian Kiser, who settled in Ohio in 1852
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Kiser Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Sam Kiser, who arrived in New York, NY in 1908 6

Kiser migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Kiser Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Mr. Kiser John U.E. who arrived at Port Roseway [Shelburne], Nova Scotia on December 13 1783 was passenger number 392 aboard the ship "HMS Clinton", picked up on November 14, 1783 at East River, New York 7
Kiser Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Anna Kiser, who settled in Ontario in 1871
  • Bridget Kiser, who settled in Ontario in 1871

Contemporary Notables of the name Kiser (post 1700) +

  • Jackson L. Kiser (1929-2020), American jurist, Senior United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia
  • Jack Kiser (b. 1949), American football coach, active 1986 to 2010
  • Don Kiser (b. 1937), American politician, Mayor of Paris, Kentucky (2002-2009)
  • Holly Kiser (b. 1986), American fashion model
  • Earl Herbert Kiser (1875-1936), American professional cyclist and later automobile racer for the Winton Automobile Company
  • John Blaire Kiser (b. 1952), American host of "The Buckeye Angler"
  • Nate Kiser (b. 1982), American former professional NHL ice hockey defenseman
  • Terry Kiser (b. 1939), American actor, best known for his portrayal of the dead title-character in Weekend at Bernie's, and its sequel, Weekend at Bernie's II
  • George C. Kiser, American fighter pilot and flying ace in the U.S. Army Air Forces, during World War II, credited with 9 aerial victories
  • Clark M. Kiser, American politician, Mayor of Greeneville, Tennessee, 1953-56 8
  • ... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Arrow Air Flight 1285
  • Mr. Bruce E Kiser (1964-1985), American Private 1st Class from Jacksonville, Florida, USA who died in the Arrow Air Flight 1285 crash 9


  1. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  2. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  3. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  4. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  5. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  6. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  7. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  8. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 6) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  9. American War Memorials - Flight 1285. (Retrieved 2016, August 24) . Retrieved from http://www.uswarmemorials.org/html/monument_details.php?SiteID=317&MemID=550


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