Sawyer Name Origin, Meaning and Family History

Sawyer Name Meaning: An occupational name for someone who is employed to 'saw' wood. Middle English 'saghier' a derivative of 'sagh(en)' meaning 'to saw'.

The process of preparing 'sawn timber' was an absolute necessity during medieval life,without it life would have been impossible.

Discover how your Sawyer ancestors earned their living and spread across the country. Find out more about your family history by using the Free Search box.

Surname Distribution

Census frequency by county

Name Concentrations Within England and Wales

Sawyer Surname Statistics


Top Professions for the Sawyer family

Profession Census Frequency
Scholar 454
Agricultural Labourer 208
House Servant 89
Labourer 76
At Home 60
Farm Labourer 49
Servant 39
Dress Maker 39
Laundress 36
Carpenter 20
General Servant 19
Blacksmith 16
Gardener 16
Nurse 16
Cook 14
Butcher 13
Daur 13
Farm Servant 13
Nailor 13
Tailor 12
Shoe Maker 11
Ag Lab 11
Mariner 10
Coal Miner 10
House Maid 10

Sawyer Surname Variants Ranking

Rank Surname Match Census Frequency
1 Sawyer 100% 41,332
2 Swyer 83% 1,575
3 Swayer 67% 184
4 Sawayer 86% 143

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The surname Sawyer is the most popular version of all its varients

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