NameCensus.

UK surname

Saye

A surname derived from the French surname "Saie", meaning a person who wove or sold woolen cloth.

In the 1881 census there were 51 people recorded with the Saye surname, ranking it #26,428 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 280, ranked #15,491, up from #26,428 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Witham and Mersea, West. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hambleton, York and Waveney.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Saye is 280 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 449.0%.

1881 census count

51

Ranked #26,428

Modern count

280

2016, ranked #15,491

Peak year

2016

280 bearers

Map years

5

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Saye had 51 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,428 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 280 in 2016, ranked #15,491.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 139 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Saye surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Saye surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Saye 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 42 #25,706
1861 historical 83 #23,189
1881 historical 51 #26,428
1891 historical 107 #22,967
1901 historical 92 #23,800
1911 historical 139 #18,745
1997 modern 242 #15,597
1998 modern 250 #15,675
1999 modern 249 #15,844
2000 modern 248 #15,827
2001 modern 241 #15,870
2002 modern 244 #16,085
2003 modern 241 #16,013
2004 modern 249 #15,739
2005 modern 241 #16,036
2006 modern 236 #16,384
2007 modern 239 #16,449
2008 modern 241 #16,481
2009 modern 245 #16,646
2010 modern 253 #16,652
2011 modern 247 #16,783
2012 modern 242 #16,886
2013 modern 252 #16,689
2014 modern 269 #16,059
2015 modern 274 #15,749
2016 modern 280 #15,491

Geography

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Where Sayes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Witham, Mersea, West, Wakefield and Great and Little Totham, Goldhanger, Heybridge, Tolleshunt Major, Tolleshunt Knights, Tolleshunt Dar. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hambleton, York, Waveney, Wiltshire and Linwood South. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Witham Essex
3 Mersea, West Essex
4 Wakefield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Great and Little Totham, Goldhanger, Heybridge, Tolleshunt Major, Tolleshunt Knights, Tolleshunt Dar Essex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hambleton 010 Hambleton
2 York 015 York
3 Waveney 004 Waveney
4 Wiltshire 038 Wiltshire
5 Linwood South Renfrewshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Saye

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Saye

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Saye surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Saye 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Saye 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

Saye 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

Saye falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Saye 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 Saye, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Saye

The surname Saye originates from England and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "sæ," meaning "sea" or "ocean." The name likely referred to someone who lived near the sea or worked in a maritime occupation.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Saye can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a landowner named Roger Saye in Devonshire. During the 12th and 13th centuries, the name appeared in various English records with spellings such as Sai, Saie, and Saye.

One notable figure with the surname Saye was James Fiennes, 1st Baron Saye and Sele (c. 1395 – 1450), an English nobleman and military commander who fought in the Hundred Years' War. He was a prominent supporter of the House of Lancaster during the Wars of the Roses.

Another individual of historical significance was Sir John Saye (c. 1450 – 1478), a member of the Garter Knights and a loyal servant to King Edward IV of England. He was executed during the Wars of the Roses for his involvement in a rebellion against the king.

In the 16th century, Sir William Saye (c. 1520 – 1584) served as a Member of Parliament and was a notable figure in the English Reformation. He was a staunch Protestant and supporter of the Protestant cause during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, John Saye (1594 – 1662) was a Puritan minister and a member of the Westminster Assembly, which produced the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms.

In the 18th century, Richard Saye (1730 – 1804) was a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolutionary Wars. He rose to the rank of Vice Admiral and was known for his bravery in battle.

The surname Saye has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Saye's Court in Kent and Saye's Farm in Essex, further reflecting its historical roots and geographical connections.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Saye families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Saye 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. Devon leads with 9 Sayes recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.70x.

County Total Index
Devon 9 8.70x
Norfolk 9 11.77x
Hampshire 5 4.91x
Essex 4 4.08x
Suffolk 4 6.61x
Bedfordshire 3 11.65x
Lancashire 3 0.51x
Yorkshire 3 0.61x
Middlesex 2 0.40x
Monmouthshire 2 5.56x
Somerset 2 2.50x
Argyllshire 1 7.23x
Northumberland 1 1.35x
Surrey 1 0.41x
Sussex 1 1.19x
Wiltshire 1 2.27x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Harpley in Norfolk leads with 8 Sayes recorded in 1881 and an index of 11428.57x.

Place Total Index
Harpley 8 11428.57x
Sowton 6 8571.43x
Christchurch 5 226.24x
Ipswich St Helen 4 555.56x
Bocking 3 508.47x
Luton 3 67.26x
Northam 3 400.00x
Broughton In Salford 2 37.11x
Islington London 2 4.15x
Newport 2 116.96x
Churchill 1 769.23x
Eastbourne 1 25.91x
Ecclesall Bierlow 1 9.98x
Huddersfield 1 13.93x
Kildalton 1 270.27x
Leyton 1 59.17x
Newington 1 5.44x
Salisbury St Edmund 1 140.85x
Thornton In Bradford 1 60.98x
Tynemouth 1 25.25x
Walcot 1 23.47x
West Rudham 1 1250.00x
Widnes 1 23.47x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 4
Annie 2
L. 2
Sarah 2
Anna 1
Charlotte 1
E. 1
Elizabeth 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Everleaner 1
Fanny 1
Grendolen 1
Harriett 1
Julia 1
Laura 1
Lucy 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Theodora 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 3
William 3
Arthur 1
Charles 1
Edward 1
Evelyn 1
Geoffrey 1
Headley 1
J. 1
James 1
Kennett 1
Mark 1
Nurley 1
Robert 1
Theodore 1
Willie 1
Woodes 1
Zachariah 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Saye households.

FAQ

Saye surname: questions and answers

How common was the Saye surname in 1881?

In 1881, 51 people were recorded with the Saye surname. That placed it at #26,428 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Saye surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 280 in 2016. That gives Saye a modern rank of #15,491.

What does the Saye surname mean?

A surname derived from the French surname "Saie", meaning a person who wove or sold woolen cloth.

What does the Saye map show?

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