Taylor sept facts for kids

The Taylor name is connected to a Scottish group called a 'sept'. A sept is like a smaller branch of a larger family, in this case, the Clan Cameron. Many people with the Taylor last name today are part of this sept.

The Story of the Taylor Name

Some people in the Taylor sept come from a man named Donald Cameron ('Taillear Dubh na Tuaighe'). He lived in the Scottish Highlands around the 1500s. Other Taylor families got their name because their ancestors were tailors, meaning they made clothes.

Donald's father was a leader of Clan Cameron. But Donald couldn't become the next leader because he was born outside of marriage. When he was a baby, a tailor's wife took care of him. Because of this, people called him An Taillear Dubh. This means 'the Black Tailor'. 'Black' here meant he had dark hair or a strong personality.

As Donald grew up, he became very good at fighting with a special weapon called a Lochaber axe. This is a long pole with an axe blade on the end. Because of his fighting skills, his nickname changed to Taillear Dubh na Tuaighe. This means 'Black Taylor of the Axe'. Donald and his family later moved to a safe place called Cowal. There, his family and followers became known as Mac-an-taillear, which means 'son of the tailor'.

Taylor Families Through History

In the 1700s, families with names like MacInTaillear, Macintaylor, Taylor, and Tayler were still living in the Cowal area. They called themselves Clann an Taillear Dhuibh Chamronaich. This means 'Children of the Black Taylor of the Camerons'.

Symbols: Coat of Arms and Tartan

The Taylor sept uses the Clan Cameron coat of arms. A coat of arms is a special design that represents a family or group. The Cameron coat of arms shows a 'wild man' holding a Lochaber axe. People have different ideas about what this means. It might be a picture of Donald Cameron, or it could show the strong and brave qualities of early Cameron fighters.

In 1955, a man named Lt.Col. Iain B. Cameron Taylor designed the Taylor sept tartan. A tartan is a special pattern of colored lines that represents a Scottish clan or family. This tartan has double black lines to honor Taillear Dubh (the 'Black Taylor').

See also

• Taylor (surname)
• Clan Tailyour