NameCensus.

UK surname

Sager

An occupational surname referring to a sawyer or woodcutter.

In the 1881 census there were 431 people recorded with the Sager surname, ranking it #7,555 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 181, ranked #20,955, down from #7,555 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Rochdale and Bolton-le-Moors. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Newcastle upon Tyne, Rochdale and Salford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sager is 490 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 58.0%.

1881 census count

431

Ranked #7,555

Modern count

181

2016, ranked #20,955

Peak year

1891

490 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sager had 431 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,555 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 181 in 2016, ranked #20,955.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 490 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Sager surname distribution map

The map shows where the Sager surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Sager surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sager over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 413 #5,872
1861 historical 434 #5,933
1881 historical 431 #7,555
1891 historical 490 #7,550
1901 historical 372 #9,972
1911 historical 395 #9,373
1997 modern 180 #18,812
1998 modern 189 #18,737
1999 modern 196 #18,464
2000 modern 179 #19,494
2001 modern 171 #19,770
2002 modern 181 #19,463
2003 modern 171 #19,953
2004 modern 171 #20,079
2005 modern 167 #20,296
2006 modern 174 #19,921
2007 modern 172 #20,321
2008 modern 175 #20,311
2009 modern 169 #21,190
2010 modern 185 #20,453
2011 modern 179 #20,732
2012 modern 173 #21,135
2013 modern 171 #21,654
2014 modern 180 #21,115
2015 modern 188 #20,417
2016 modern 181 #20,955

Geography

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Where Sagers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Rochdale, Bolton-le-Moors and Whalley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Newcastle upon Tyne, Rochdale, Salford and Leeds. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 2
2 Rochdale Lancashire
3 Bolton-le-Moors Lancashire
4 Whalley Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Newcastle upon Tyne 029 Newcastle upon Tyne
2 Rochdale 020 Rochdale
3 Rochdale 013 Rochdale
4 Salford 010 Salford
5 Leeds 015 Leeds

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sager

These lists show first names that appear often with the Sager surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sager

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Sager, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Sager surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Sager household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Sager is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Sager is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Sager falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Sager is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Sager, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Sager

The surname Sager is of German origin, derived from the Old German word "sager," meaning a person who tells stories or speaks eloquently. It first emerged in the late Middle Ages, around the 14th century, in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Sager can be found in the Würzburg Codex, a medieval manuscript dating back to 1368, where a certain Hans Sager is mentioned as a scribe and storyteller in the court of the Prince-Bishop of Würzburg.

In the 15th century, the name Sager appears in various town records and tax rolls across southern Germany, suggesting that the name had spread and become more common among the general population.

One notable bearer of the name was Johann Sager (1495-1564), a Lutheran theologian and reformer from Nuremberg, who played a significant role in the Reformation movement in the Holy Roman Empire.

Another historical figure with the surname Sager was Katharina Sager (1535-1594), a German midwife and author from Augsburg, who wrote one of the earliest known treatises on midwifery and childbirth in the German language.

In the 17th century, the name Sager appears in several records from the Palatinate region of southwestern Germany, where it may have originated from the town of Sagerbach or Sägermühle.

One of the earliest recorded immigrants to North America with the surname Sager was Hans Sager, who arrived in Pennsylvania from the Palatinate region in 1738 and settled in the German immigrant community of Germantown.

Another prominent bearer of the name was the Swiss-born writer and philosopher Johann Jakob Sager (1705-1776), who was a leading figure in the German Enlightenment and a proponent of religious tolerance and freedom of thought.

In the 19th century, the surname Sager was borne by several notable individuals, including the American explorer and frontiersman John Sager (1804-1883), who led wagon trains along the Oregon Trail, and the German-American educator and author Carl Sager (1835-1898), who founded the Milwaukee Normal School and was a pioneer in teacher education.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sager families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sager surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 258 Sagers recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.17x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 258 5.17x
Yorkshire 66 1.58x
Staffordshire 33 2.33x
Middlesex 16 0.38x
Cheshire 8 0.86x
Cornwall 8 1.68x
Shropshire 8 2.20x
Midlothian 6 1.07x
Norfolk 6 0.93x
Derbyshire 4 0.61x
Surrey 4 0.20x
Durham 3 0.24x
Kent 3 0.21x
Devon 2 0.23x
Northumberland 2 0.32x
Gloucestershire 1 0.12x
Monmouthshire 1 0.33x
Suffolk 1 0.20x
Sussex 1 0.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Padiham in Lancashire leads with 36 Sagers recorded in 1881 and an index of 298.76x.

Place Total Index
Padiham 36 298.76x
Walsall Foreign 26 35.47x
Cliviger 21 747.33x
Read 19 1428.57x
Blatchinworth 17 149.65x
Spotland 13 23.44x
Habergham Eaves 12 26.32x
Great Mitton 11 4400.00x
Little Bolton 11 17.15x
West Derby 11 7.54x
Butterworth 9 74.07x
Great Bolton 9 13.62x
Cheetham 8 21.50x
Edgeworth 8 298.51x
Falmouth 8 47.48x
Heptonstall 8 136.75x
St Martin 8 197.04x
Worsbrough 8 65.52x
Cannock 7 28.27x
Liverpool 7 2.31x
Lytham 7 91.86x
Whitechapel London 7 16.89x
Accrington 6 13.23x
Great Yarmouth 6 11.20x
Halliwell 6 33.04x
Leith North 6 555.56x
Pendleton In Clitheroe 6 317.46x
Sowerby In Halifax 6 44.05x
Stansfield 6 39.14x
Blackburn 5 3.77x
Clayton Le Moors 5 51.65x
Elland Cum Greetland 5 26.64x
Horton In Bradford 5 7.69x
Layton With Warbreck 5 27.31x
Mile End New Town 5 87.11x
Pemberton 5 25.14x
Bowling 4 9.69x
Bradford 4 3.97x
Dukinfield 4 9.33x
Glossop Dale 4 12.98x
Higher Booths 4 44.49x
Eccleshill 3 29.59x
Hulme 3 2.88x
Islington London 3 0.74x
Liscard 3 17.94x
Toxteth Park 3 1.78x
Wardleworth 3 10.52x
Barrowford Booth 2 36.23x
East Budleigh 2 48.54x
East Chevington 2 96.15x
Foulridge 2 157.48x
Leeds 2 0.85x
Livesey 2 22.83x
Rotherhithe 2 3.85x
Todmorden Walsden 2 14.97x
Wadsworth 2 29.50x
Walton On Thames 2 21.25x
Westoe 2 2.82x
Wuerdle Wardle 2 13.21x
Birtley 1 19.61x
Bootle Cum Linacre 1 2.52x
Broughton In Salford 1 2.19x
Buckland In Faversham 1 1000.00x
Castleton 1 2.01x
Chorley 1 3.57x
Claughton With Grange 1 23.64x
Deptford St Nicholas 1 8.79x
Gorleston 1 7.69x
Great Crosby 1 7.35x
Horsham 1 7.26x
Ickham Well 1 121.95x
Manchester 1 0.45x
Monmouth 1 12.41x
Moss Side 1 3.81x
Rathmell 1 312.50x
Southcoates 1 4.32x
St Briavels 1 94.34x
St George Hanover 1 1.82x
Tottington Lower End 1 4.22x
Whalley 1 13.76x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Sager surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 29
Elizabeth 16
Sarah 16
Jane 12
Alice 11
Ann 8
Ellen 8
Martha 8
Emma 7
Hannah 6
Betty 4
Maria 4
Ruth 4
Susannah 4
Agnes 3
Clara 3
Louisa 3
Margaret 3
Rose 3
Annie 2
Dinah 2
Emily 2
Esther 2
Eva 2
Mabel 2
Nancy 2
Sophia 2
Betsy 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Deborah 1
Eliza 1
Elizth. 1
Ella 1
Elwic 1
Emely 1
Enini 1
Ethalinda 1
Harriet 1
Hellen 1
Ida 1
Jenny 1
Lean 1
Lettice 1
Lilly 1
Lissey 1
Lizzie 1
Lucy 1
Lusay 1
Susey 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Sager surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 28
William 28
James 26
Thomas 20
George 9
Robert 8
Henry 7
Joseph 6
Charles 4
Edmund 4
Richard 4
Wm. 4
Edward 3
Seth 3
Arthur 2
Benjamin 2
Carl 2
Ernest 2
Frank 2
Isaiah 2
Martin 2
Nathan 2
Paul 2
Amos 1
Benjiman 1
Daniel 1
David 1
Davies 1
Edwin 1
Elah 1
Eli 1
Foster 1
Frederick 1
Harold 1
Harry 1
Haworth 1
Horice 1
Howarth 1
Hyman 1
Infant 1
Jackson 1
Lewis 1
Louis 1
Michael 1
Rawson 1
Rigley 1
Samuel 1
Stansfield 1
Stephen 1
Wolf 1

FAQ

Sager surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sager surname in 1881?

In 1881, 431 people were recorded with the Sager surname. That placed it at #7,555 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sager surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 181 in 2016. That gives Sager a modern rank of #20,955.

What does the Sager surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a sawyer or woodcutter.

What does the Sager map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Sager bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.