How to say it
SAY · lor
ˈseɪ.lɚ
Feminine
Saylor
Sailor, or 'rope-maker'
What it means
Modern American respelling of Sailor, from the English occupational surname for a sailor, or the German Seiler ('rope-maker'). Christie Brinkley's daughter Sailor (born 1998) and the modern girls'-name spelling wave anchor the contemporary use.
Saylor is a modern American respelling of Sailor, with two competing roots. The English Sailor is an occupational surname from Old English sǣl ('happy, prosperous') or directly from the sailing trade. The German Seiler means 'rope-maker' (from Seil, 'rope') and was a sailing-related craft. Christie Brinkley and Peter Cook named their daughter Sailor (born 1998), giving the name its celebrity-baby anchor. The Saylor respelling reads as modern American feminine. As a US first name Saylor is post-2010 and feminine-leaning. It entered the US top 1000 in 2014. Common short: Say.
How to spell Saylor
The standard spelling is Saylor. Common variants include Sailor, Saylar, Sailer, but Saylor is the most widely used form.
Popularity over time
peaked at #207 in 2022, currently #217 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–2025. Reviewed July 2026. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Spelling
Sailor (the literal English word) and Saylor (the modern American respelling) are the same name; Saylor reads as a deliberate stylization away from the occupational noun.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Sailor Brinkley Cook Daughter of Christie Brinkley and Peter Cook, born 1998 (original Sailor spelling)
Spelling variants
- Sailor
- Saylar
- Sailer
Names with the same feeling
See Saylor from another angle
By meaning
By style
Common questions
- What does the name Saylor mean?
- Modern American respelling of Sailor, from the English occupational surname for a sailor, or the German Seiler ('rope-maker'). Christie Brinkley's daughter Sailor (born 1998) and the modern girls'-name spelling wave anchor the contemporary use.
- What does Saylor mean in English?
- In English, Saylor means "Sailor, or 'rope-maker'." Saylor is a modern American respelling of Sailor, with two competing roots. The English Sailor is an occupational surname from Old English sǣl ('happy, prosperous') or directly from the sailing trade. The German Seiler means 'rope-maker' (from Seil, 'rope') and was a sailing-related craft. Christie Brinkley and Peter Cook named their daughter Sailor (born 1998), giving the name its celebrity-baby anchor. The Saylor respelling reads as modern American feminine. As a US first name Saylor is post-2010 and feminine-leaning. It entered the US top 1000 in 2014. Common short: Say.
- How do you pronounce Saylor?
- Saylor is pronounced ˈseɪ.lɚ. Say it as SAY-lor, with the stress on the "say" syllable.
- How do you spell Saylor?
- The standard spelling is Saylor. Common spelling variants include Sailor, Saylar, Sailer.
- Is Saylor a boy or girl name?
- Saylor is traditionally a feminine name.
- How popular is the name Saylor?
- Saylor ranked #217 in the U.S. in 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.