FAQ
Q: Are all Taylors related?
A: No! This is a common misconception. Taylor is a multi-source surname; it was independently adopted by, or mandated to, many individuals nearly simultaneously; we estimate about 2,500 in 14th century England. There are many Taylors families who are unrelated for thousands of years.
Q: What is the name's origin?
A: The name derives from "tailleur", a French-Norman word meaning a cutter of cloth. It is an occupational name.
Q: If I join the project, what are the chances of finding my Taylor family?
A: It depends. IF you have the Taylor surname and test at least 37 markers, the odds are about 3:4 (75%) that we can identify your Taylor cousins who've tested. About 20% of Taylors have a non-Taylor in their direct biological paternity and about 5% are the only members of their patriline to have tested.
Q: Is that 75% success rate also true for UK Taylors?
A: Unfortunately, no. We have not yet reached a critical penetration threshold in the British Isles. We need more UK & Irish Taylors to test.
Q: How many Taylors are there?
A: There are about 1,500,000 Taylors in the world, mostly in English-speaking countries. About 800,000 live in the USA and about 350,000 in the United Kingdom. Interestingly, the name is rare in France, from whose language it comes.
A: No! This is a common misconception. Taylor is a multi-source surname; it was independently adopted by, or mandated to, many individuals nearly simultaneously; we estimate about 2,500 in 14th century England. There are many Taylors families who are unrelated for thousands of years.
Q: What is the name's origin?
A: The name derives from "tailleur", a French-Norman word meaning a cutter of cloth. It is an occupational name.
Q: If I join the project, what are the chances of finding my Taylor family?
A: It depends. IF you have the Taylor surname and test at least 37 markers, the odds are about 3:4 (75%) that we can identify your Taylor cousins who've tested. About 20% of Taylors have a non-Taylor in their direct biological paternity and about 5% are the only members of their patriline to have tested.
Q: Is that 75% success rate also true for UK Taylors?
A: Unfortunately, no. We have not yet reached a critical penetration threshold in the British Isles. We need more UK & Irish Taylors to test.
Q: How many Taylors are there?
A: There are about 1,500,000 Taylors in the world, mostly in English-speaking countries. About 800,000 live in the USA and about 350,000 in the United Kingdom. Interestingly, the name is rare in France, from whose language it comes.