This germanic name, also found in Scotland in the spelling "Keillor" although from one of the several places called "Kiel". This was originally a description for a lake, water meadow, or stream, and can also be applied as a job description for one who works on the water. The name spelling has many variants, the "ie" and "ei" being interchangeable, and likewise the Suffix "er" or "or", although the early spellings are constant in retaining the "er" version. These variants are usually the result of local dialectal changes in conjunction with poor spelling amongst clerics. The name recordings include Christopher Keiller who married Caterina Nestler at Geyer, Germany on September 10th 1684, and Johan Henrick Kieller who married Maria Schlovers at Billerbeck, West Phalen on November 18th 1765. On January 26th 1853 Catyarina Kiellor married Paul Trann at St. James Church, Dukes Place, London. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Valten Keiller, which was dated September 10th 1564, christened at Sachsen, Altenburgh, Germany, during the reign of Emperor Maximillian 11 of the Holy Roman Empire, 1564 - 1576. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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