Seiler
A German occupational surname meaning “rope-maker” or “maker of cord.”
The #4,344 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 37,790 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Seiler comes from Middle High German seilaere, meaning a rope-maker or cord-maker. It is built on the word for “rope” or “cord” (related to German Seil). The name originally referred to someone whose trade was making ropes, cords, or similar tackle.
History
The surname is common in German-speaking areas and was also carried abroad by emigrants. In English-speaking records, especially among Pennsylvania Germans, it often kept its German spelling and was sometimes pronounced like “Sailor.” The name is widely listed in 19th- and early-20th-century surname dictionaries as a straightforward occupational surname.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older sources note that in some American German communities, Seiler could be heard as “Sailor” because the German ei vowel was often adapted to English sounds.
From the historical record
“Repsehläger III. niederd. Reifischläger, d. i. „Seiler" — von got raip, ahd. mhd. reif, niederd. rep Seil; Faßreif, Ring. Requard s. Ric (V.). Ressel s. Rad (einst. K.).”
— Die deutschen Familiennamen