Surname Sailes - Meaning and Origin

Sailes: What does the surname Sailes mean?

The last name Sailes is of French origin and is thought to derive from the French word 'saille' meaning willow tree. As a surname, Sailes generally represents an occupational name for someone who was a charcoal burner or a seller of willow wax and baskets. While some references cite the surname Sailes as originating from Scotland, more commonly it is found in England, primarily in regions such as Kent, Essex, Cornwall, and Devon.

In England, according to the Dovercourt Parish Register, the surname Sailes dates back to at least 1524. There are even some records from as early as 696 regarding a family by the name of Sailes in England. In addition to the name's presence in England, it is documented in the United States as early as the late 18th century and in Canada, specifically Lower Canada (now Quebec), in the mid-19th century.

The Sailes family has a long line of distinguished individuals, including British Army officers and contemporary athletes in various sports. The family name even spread to the United States in the late 19th century when families immigrated from the United Kingdom. There is also a thriving community of Sailes alive and well in Canada, specifically in Quebec.

Overall, the last name Sailes is a proud one with a long history. It is an occupational name, indicating a family of charcoal burners and willow wax and basket traders, yet in modern generations the Sailes name has come to stand for more than simply occupation. It now represents generations of proud and productive individuals, with a lasting legacy.

Sailes: Where does the name Sailes come from?

The surname Sailes is most common today in the English-speaking Caribbean, particularly in the Bahamas, Jamaica, Barbados, and the Turks and Caicos Islands. It is also present in the Anglophone parts of the United States, Canada, Australia, and England, though to a much lesser extent than in the Caribbean.

The origin of the Sailes surname is uncertain, but it is thought to be possibly derived from Welsh. It may also be related to the French last name Sails, which is derived from the Middle French word saille, meaning willow or sallow.

In the Caribbean, Sailes is a relatively common surname. In Jamaica, it places as the 57th most common surname, with a frequency of 0.06%. In the Bahamas, it is the 15th most common surname, with a frequency of 0.53%. In Barbados, it ranks as the 40th most common surname, with a frequency of 0.06%. In the Turks and Caicos Islands, it is the 21st most common surname, with a frequency of 0.47%.

In English-speaking North America, cases of the Sailes surname are more sparse and hard to come by. In the United States–based on statistics from 1990–the total number of Sailes surnamed individuals was 1,196. In Canada, there are a total of 188 individuals with the last name Sailes. In the United Kingdom, there are only 39 individuals with the name. Australia has a slightly higher count, with 95 people registered as having the surname.

Overall, the last name Sailes is most common in the English-speaking Caribbean, particularly Jamaica, the Bahamas, Barbados, and the Turks and Caicos Islands. In the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia, the name is significantly less common.

Variations of the surname Sailes

The surname Sailes has various variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. These include:

• Sails

• Sailes

• Sayles

• Saylese

• Seales

• Seeles

• Seiles

• Seilesse

• Seller

• Sellers

• Sels

• Salis

• Sailis

All of the above spellings and surnames have likely evolved over time as either the pronunciation of the name has changed or different spellings have been adopted in various countries.

The most commonly accepted form of the surname is Sailes, although different versions were used in different countries, regions, and even within families. Some versions of the surname likely have multiple spellings due to spoken dialects that have been passed down through generations.

One possible origin of the surname is “Sal” and “Seal” which could be derived from either Norman French or Anglo Saxon terms, often referring to a particular kind of occupation or profession. In some cases, the surname may have originated from the first name of a father or an ancestor, such as “Sail”, “Sal”, or “Sailes”. The surname may also have originated from a place name, such as Salisbury, Sailes Court, Salisbury Castle, Seales Manor, Seiles Manour, and Seales Abbey.

Finally, the surname Sailes could have been derived from a combination of the first names of two people, such as “Sail” and “Sailis” - where the two surnames were merged and used as the primary surname of the family.

Famous people with the name Sailes

• Richard Sailes: British barrister and judge who was a Justice of the High Court of England and Wales from 1978 to 1996.
• Andrew Sailes: Canadian hockey player and a member of the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame who was notable for his participation in the first-ever ice hockey tournament at the Olympic Games.
• LeRoy Sailes: American football player in the National Football League who was a member of the San Francisco 49ers in 1968.
• Maurice Sailes: English cricketer who represented Warwickshire County Cricket Club from 1926 to 1927.
• Robert Sailes: Canadian artist from British Columbia whose contributions can be found in the permanent collections of the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Canada House Gallery in London, England, and the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo, Japan.
• Ruby M. Sailes: American florist and businesswoman from South Carolina who was a one of the first African-American woman to own a business in her hometown of Seabrook.
• Sarah Mari Sailes: American journalist and cultural critic who wrote for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Salon, and The Root among other publications.
• Timothy Sailes: British-Jamaican artist and sculptor who works primarily using wood, steel, clay, and other natural materials to create abstract representations of people and objects.
• William Sailes: American college football player from Alabama who was selected in the first round of the NFL draft by the Cleveland Browns in 1972.
• Clemon Sailes: American jazz saxophonist and flautist who was an integral part of the Detroit and Cleveland jazz scene in the 1950s and 1960s.

Other surnames

SaileSailer