Though Meyler is used as one of the anglicised forms of Maol-Mhuire, Meilyr (later Meyler), from whence the surname Mac Meyler, is a Welsh first name, according to Woulfe's Sloinnte Gaedhael is Gall and to Sean de Bhulbh's Sloinnte na hEireann/Irish Surnames.
Hilary Murphy's Families of Co Wexford says that it is also possible that some Meylers are of Irish origin, deriving from the SiolMaeluidhir, "the race of Maeluidhir", which gives name to the barony of Shelmalier.
Meyler is among the 105 family names listed in Families of Co Wexford. Here we learn that the first Meyler who came to Wexford with the Anglo-Normans when they landed in Bannow in 1169 was Meyler Fitzhenry, grandson of King Henry I through his mistress, the renowned Welsh princess Nesta. These Norman Meylers became one of the leading families in Co Wexford, having their principal stronghold at Duncormick where they built a castle. Other branches of the family had castles at The Dirr, Mullinderry and Priesthaggart, and lands at Gurteenminogue, Rathaspeck, Ballyseskin, Gentstown, Seafield, Garrison and Ballyfinogue.
And though Co Wexford was the point of entry of the Norman Meylers to Ireland, and that to the present day the great majority of the Meyler/Myler telephone entries (46 Meyler, 46 Myler) are in that county, they were to be found in the early 14th century in Co Tipperary and as far north as counties Dublin and Meath.
In 1312, Richard Meyler was King's coroner of all parts of Iuowyn in Co Tipperary; the following year Roger Meyler was among the jurors when Sowery O Donegan was charged with waylaying Henry O Leynan. O Donegan's defence was that "he had met Henry in the highway, and Henry was riding an afer which he had previously stolen from Sowery, and Sowery, seeing his afer under Henry, threw him to the ground and led the afer with him and appropriated it to himself".
One of the jurors at a 1314 hearing in Dublin was named Meyler, and Richard Meyler had been a juror the previous year at a hearing in Meath. Sir Ralph Meyler was Guardian of the Peace in Co Wexford in 1446, and one of the first commissioners over the abbey of Dunbrody. It is recorded that in 1340 "free passage of all vessels was granted by the King to the port of Ross at the instance and by the labour and diligence of Ralph Meyler".
The Co Wexford book of The Civil Survey (1654-58) notes that Nicholas Myler, Irish Papist, had a five-way share in 840 acres and "a faire castle" at Tamon in the barony of Shelmaliere. Tamon was formerly a market town incorporate with "a usuall through 'fare on the road twixt Wexford and Waterford as alsoe twixt Wexford and Rosse". He also shared 60 acres at Meylers Coolcoll. In the parish of Duncormack he had 730 acres and 400 in the parish of Old Ross.
A Census of Ireland c. 1659 lists Meylor among the principal Irish names in the Co Wexford Barony of Forth - together with Codd, Devereaux, Furlong, Lamport, Stafford, Whitty and Synott, etc. At Christmas 1653, Father Nicholas Mayler, pastor of the old church in Tomhaggard was slain by Cromwellian soldiers when secretly saying Mass. The Mylers of Harriestown were staunch nationalists, and James Meyler, Blackhall, Glynn, who died in 1910, was a member of the Old Wexford Board of Guardians, a staunch supporter of Parnell and Redmond, and a leading figure in the GAA in the county.
Despite the earlier land holdings, Owners of Land of One Acre and Upwards (1876) lists but three Meyler holdings - the 14 acres of Miss Meyler, Churchtown, Dundrum, Dublin, the 53 acres of Matthew Meyler, Ballyseskin, Kilmore, Co Wexford, and in the same county the 159 acres of James E. Meyler, Harristown, Ballymitty.
Edmund oge Mac Moiler was among pardoned Connaught persons contained in a fiant of 1562, another being Wony Kill. De Bhulbh has "Kille: very rare: Fermanagh. Apparently an old and very rare English name". The Judiciary Rolls (130814) mentions Geoffrey and Thomas of Kill in 1310, and in 1313 Philip de Kille O.P. was prior of the Dominicans in Dublin. The two Kille entries in the Northern Ireland Phone Book are in Co Fermanagh. Might this be one of the rare surnames in Ireland formed from place-names, i.e. Bray, Corbally, Finglas, etc?
Meylerspark names a townland in Co Wexford, and Meylerstown names four townlands in Co Kildare, two in Co Tipperary, and one in Co Kilkenny with the alias Kingsmountain. This latter is Baile an Mhioloidigh, containing the surname Mylotte rather than Meyler.