Taylor (\ta(y)-lor\) is a Middle English occupational surname of Old French origin, derived from the Norman French word taileur ("a cutter-out of cloth").^[1][2] First historical evidence of the surname dates to County of Somerset in 1182. Its increasing popularity through the centuries is attributed to refugees (mostly Jewish) from continental Europe with the equivalent surname (Russian/"Portnov", German/"Schneider", Hungarian/"Szabo") entering Britain, and switching to the English language translation "Taylor". According to the UK National Trust surname profiler, Taylor is the fifth most common surname in Great Britain. It is also common in other English speaking countries (especially Australia, Canada, and New Zealand), but has a low incidence in Ireland. ^{[3] [4]} Scottish namebearers in the Cowal region are historically associated with the Taylor sept, their surname evolving from the nickname Taillear Dubh ("black tailor"), to the surname Mac-an-taillear ("son of the tailor"), to present-day Taylor.

In the United States, 'Taylor' was the tenth most frequently encountered surname in the 1990 US Census, accounting for 0.3% of the population.^[5]

Taylor has been a common masculine given name since the 19th century, and common feminine given name since the late 1970s in English language countries.^[6][7]