NameCensus.

UK surname

Sawyers

An occupational surname referring to someone who sawed wood, particularly to make boards for construction.

In the 1881 census there were 404 people recorded with the Sawyers surname, ranking it #7,919 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 836, ranked #6,670, up from #7,919 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Dorking, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Mole Valley, Earlston and Hurlford Rural and Kingston upon Hull.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sawyers is 873 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 106.9%.

1881 census count

404

Ranked #7,919

Modern count

836

2016, ranked #6,670

Peak year

2010

873 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sawyers had 404 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,919 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 836 in 2016, ranked #6,670.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 569 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Sawyers surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sawyers surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sawyers 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 379 #6,300
1861 historical 401 #6,399
1881 historical 404 #7,919
1891 historical 569 #6,680
1901 historical 472 #8,407
1911 historical 550 #7,287
1997 modern 765 #6,776
1998 modern 771 #6,960
1999 modern 793 #6,852
2000 modern 786 #6,873
2001 modern 755 #6,952
2002 modern 750 #7,108
2003 modern 732 #7,137
2004 modern 753 #7,000
2005 modern 769 #6,819
2006 modern 789 #6,706
2007 modern 810 #6,614
2008 modern 818 #6,614
2009 modern 860 #6,513
2010 modern 873 #6,561
2011 modern 866 #6,526
2012 modern 840 #6,586
2013 modern 849 #6,643
2014 modern 841 #6,714
2015 modern 831 #6,716
2016 modern 836 #6,670

Geography

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Where Sawyers' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Dorking, London parishes, Gateshead, Uckfield and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Mole Valley, Earlston and Hurlford Rural, Kingston upon Hull and Carlisle. 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 Dorking Surrey
2 London parishes London 3
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Uckfield Sussex
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Mole Valley 012 Mole Valley
2 Earlston and Hurlford Rural East Ayrshire
3 Kingston upon Hull 003 Kingston upon Hull, City of
4 Carlisle 009 Carlisle
5 Kingston upon Hull 002 Kingston upon Hull, City of

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sawyers

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sawyers

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Sawyers, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Sawyers surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Sawyers household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Sawyers is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Sawyers is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Sawyers 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 Sawyers is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Sawyers

The surname Sawyers is an occupational name derived from the Old English word "sawyer," which referred to a person who sawed wood for a living. The name originated in England and can be traced back to the 12th century.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Sawyers appears in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1194, where a certain William le Sauyer is mentioned. The Pipe Rolls were a record of financial transactions made by the English Exchequer during the Middle Ages.

In the 13th century, the name is found in various forms, such as Sauyer, Sawier, and Sauer, reflecting the regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. One notable example is John le Sauyer, who is recorded in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1292.

The Sawyers name is also present in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a census-like survey conducted by King Edward I. These rolls provide valuable information about the distribution of the name across different counties in England during that period.

As the centuries passed, the Sawyers surname spread across various regions of England, and some individuals bearing the name achieved notable status. For instance, Robert Sawyer (1633-1692) was an English lawyer and politician who served as Attorney General during the reign of King James II.

Another prominent figure was Sir James Sawyer (1807-1882), a British civil engineer who played a significant role in the construction of railways in India during the 19th century.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the Sawyers surname is found in the Virginia colonial records from the 17th century. Thomas Sawyers, born around 1620, was among the early settlers in Virginia and is considered one of the progenitors of the Sawyers family in America.

Other notable individuals with the Sawyers surname include Amos Sawyer (1925-2022), a Liberian politician and scholar who served as the interim president of Liberia from 1990 to 1994, and Diane Sawyer (born 1945), a renowned American journalist and television personality.

Throughout its long history, the Sawyers surname has maintained its connection to the occupation of woodworking and sawing, although its bearers have pursued diverse professions and made significant contributions in various fields.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sawyers families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sawyers 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. Surrey leads with 81 Sawyers' recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.23x.

County Total Index
Surrey 81 4.23x
Sussex 72 10.86x
Northumberland 31 5.30x
Middlesex 29 0.74x
Kent 27 2.01x
Yorkshire 24 0.62x
Durham 23 1.97x
Lanarkshire 18 1.42x
Cumberland 14 4.14x
Lancashire 10 0.21x
Worcestershire 8 1.56x
Dorset 7 2.71x
Midlothian 7 1.33x
Ayrshire 6 2.04x
Glamorgan 5 0.73x
Gloucestershire 5 0.65x
Oxfordshire 5 2.06x
Angus 4 1.10x
Dunbartonshire 4 3.79x
Kirkcudbrightshire 4 7.03x
Renfrewshire 3 0.98x
Suffolk 3 0.63x
Westmorland 3 3.47x
Wiltshire 3 0.86x
Warwickshire 2 0.20x
Buteshire 1 4.20x
Cheshire 1 0.12x
Devon 1 0.12x
Hampshire 1 0.12x
Royal Navy 1 2.13x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Uckfield in Sussex leads with 28 Sawyers' recorded in 1881 and an index of 968.86x.

Place Total Index
Uckfield 28 968.86x
Dorking 14 108.86x
Govan 13 4.13x
Leeds 13 5.91x
Isfield 11 1803.28x
Bishopwearmouth 9 8.97x
Bradford 9 9.54x
Croydon 9 8.47x
Lambeth 9 2.63x
Brighton 8 5.98x
East Horsley 8 2051.28x
Elswick 8 17.14x
Enfield 8 31.02x
Felton 8 879.12x
Heaton 8 412.37x
Hill Moor 8 1777.78x
New Shoreham 8 201.51x
Great Bookham 7 476.19x
Maidstone 7 17.52x
Shapwick 7 1186.44x
Winlaton 7 62.39x
Ebony 6 2500.00x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 6 2.83x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 6 11.85x
Riccarton 6 135.14x
Waterhead 6 1428.57x
Westminster St John 6 12.53x
Whitehaven 6 33.26x
Everton 5 3.36x
Fetcham 5 781.25x
Merstham 5 409.84x
Morden 5 526.32x
Westerham 5 161.81x
Buittle 4 298.51x
Cam 4 168.78x
Cuckfield 4 59.79x
Eastbourne 4 13.11x
Eccleston In Prescot 4 17.08x
Liff Benvie 4 7.24x
Mitcham 4 33.03x
Tynemouth 4 12.77x
Walton On Thames 4 45.51x
Abbey 3 6.45x
Barony 3 0.93x
Caterham 3 35.42x
Cliffe Pypard 3 288.46x
Coxlodge 3 67.42x
Herne 3 50.51x
Islington London 3 0.79x
Kendal 3 18.98x
Mile End Old Town 3 4.83x
New Kilpatrick 3 29.85x
Patcham 3 252.10x
Reigate Foreign 3 14.46x
St Margaret Lothbury 3 1875.00x
Sully 3 1111.11x
Birmingham 2 0.61x
Cheriton 2 36.56x
East Grinstead 2 21.32x
Fringford 2 363.64x
Glasgow 2 0.89x
Hammersmith London 2 2.07x
Hethe 2 400.00x
Penarth 2 29.90x
Reigate Borough 2 45.25x
St Pancras London 2 0.63x
Thames Ditton 2 50.25x
Tonbridge 2 4.13x
Woodbridge 2 32.68x
Brightside Bierlow 1 1.31x
Gateshead 1 1.14x
Hastings St Mary 1 6.06x
Hastings St Mary In The 1 7.07x
Kingsbridge 1 48.54x
Otford 1 53.48x
Pembury 1 52.63x
Row 1 7.32x
Royal Navy 1 2.50x
St Marylebone London 1 0.48x
Westminster St James 1 2.47x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 23
William 22
James 20
John 15
Thomas 13
Charles 7
Alfred 6
Edward 6
Henry 6
Joseph 6
Richard 6
Robert 4
Arthur 3
Frank 3
Frederick 3
Walter 3
Albert 2
Francis 2
Fredrick 2
Harry 2
Ambrose 1
Ann 1
Augustus 1
Burtie 1
Daniel 1
Danl.M. 1
Enelid 1
Herbert 1
Isaac 1
Jacob 1
Owen 1
Peter 1
Phillip 1
Samuel 1
Stephen 1
Trayton 1

FAQ

Sawyers surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sawyers surname in 1881?

In 1881, 404 people were recorded with the Sawyers surname. That placed it at #7,919 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sawyers surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 836 in 2016. That gives Sawyers a modern rank of #6,670.

What does the Sawyers surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to someone who sawed wood, particularly to make boards for construction.

What does the Sawyers map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Sawyers 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.