WELCOME TO  WWW.TAYLAN.US

This website presents the known history of the surname Taylan. Why are you here?  Do you possess the surname Taylan by birth or marriage?  Are you a friend of a Taylan?  Did you once know a Taylan?  Welcome to Taylan country! The Taylans are Americans, Filipinos and Turks by birth for certain.  Hopefully, we can find shared routes all the way back to Africa or certainly thru marriage and friends, we are connected to every culture and people around the world!

BACKGROUND
By Justin R. Taylan. Everyone wants to know where they came from, and the origins of their own surname.  By birth I am America. Growing up, I was often listed as 'Taylor' which is a common surname in America, and I guess originally I became interested in my name for the sake of differentiation from this common surname.  I asked my paternal grandfather, Abraham "Buddy" Taylan about the origins of the name, he told me in the Philippines the name meant 'bridge builder'.  His entire family was from Ilocos Norte province of Luzon, Philippines. This province is at the north-west tip of the island, bordering the South China Sea. From that time on, I identified my surname and 25% of my blood to be Ilocano / Filipino.

My aunt Eleanor Taylan, married name Koffler and her husband Jeromoe Koffler also initiated genealogical research, including the discovery of a Morman Church record that indicated the presence of two Turkish traders who established a business in that same area of Ilocos Norte in the mid-1800's. Obviously, there is some connection and intermarriage between these immigrants and businessman and my Filipino relatives. With the advent of the world wide wide in the mid-1990's I immediately searched for others with the surname 'Taylan' and tried to buy the domain name www.Taylan.com and found it is owned by Taylan Holdings, Istambul Turkey again, the Turkish connection. Occasionally, I have gotten email from Turkish Taylans but have been unable to find any shared relatives.

Now, as an adult (I am 27 years old, single man) I have traveled to my grandfather's hometown of Dingras, Ilocos Norde. Next, it appears I must go to Turkey to search for more clues, but before taking that trip I want to arm myself with enough research to find the earliest known Taylans. I guess I also have an interest being the only male heir to the Taylan surname from my known family tree. But don't worry, there are other Taylan men out there. Historically speaking, I guess the Taylan blood means we like to move around (even before globalization!), are creatively driven (artists, poets and media makers) and marry people from all cultures.  So, if your not a Taylan and are reading this, maybe you will marry one!

My goal of this website is this website is to catalog and unite all people with th surname Taylan, and attempt to learn common connections we have, and stories to share from varied life.  Also, to ideally located an even earlier origin for the name. If you are a Taylan, please contact me to add yourself to this page.

Taylans in Turkey
Earliest known origin of the surname 'Taylan' is Turkish.

Taylans in Europe
Post WWII, many Turks worked to rebuild Europe and communities of Turkish immigrants are common in many European countries. Likely, there are Taylan relatives who moved to Europe.

Taylans in the Philippines
In the Philippines, the surname Taylan is not very common, except for Ilocos Norte Province and around the town of Dingras. In the Philippines, the name is pronounced 'Tai-Lon' but spelled the same. In the middle 1800's (?) two Turkish traders, Ali Hasn Taylan and XXXXX Taylan established a store in Dingras, and obviously inter-married or fathered children in the town.

Taylans in America
The 'youngest' Taylans were immigrants to America.  The surname is pronounced 'Taylan', probably due to confusion with the more common surname 'Taylor'.