SAYER

Sayer is an English occupational surname that appears in documentary records from the early twelfth century. The earliest recorded spelling is that of Richard le Saer, who is listed as a witness in the Assise Rolls of Yorkshire in 1204; the record was made under King John, who reigned from 1199 to 1216. The name is classed within the category of occupational surnames, meaning it was originally applied to a person who performed a particular trade or a distinctive social role.

The predominant interpretation of Sayer derives from the Middle English word sayere, which means “sayer” or “speaker.” The name would therefore have served as a designation for a public speaker, a town crier or a professional reciter of prose, poetry or news. Alternative theories link the name to a number of other occupational or descriptive origins. These include a derivation from the pre‑medieval personal name Saher or Seir, itself a shortened form of the Norman name Sigiheri, introduced after the Conquest of 1066; a link to the medieval occupation of a woodcutter, recorded in Middle English as sayhare (the more familiar surname being Sawyer); a derivation from the Old French essay, meaning “trial”, which would give rise to a word meaning an assayer or tester of metals or food; and a suffixised form meaning “son of Sayer”, the plural of which has produced a range of variants such as Sayre, Saer, Sare, Seyer, Sear, Seares, Sears, Seer and others.

Throughout the British Isles Sayer is most commonly found in England, where it is recorded as the 5,105th most frequent surname. The name is especially concentrated in the counties of Wiltshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. The surname also appears in Scotland, where it ranks as the 3,377th most common name; it is notably frequent in Lanarkshire. In the United States the name is represented primarily in Ohio, New York and Pennsylvania, and is identified as the 2,476th most common surname. The surname is also present, though less commonly, in Canada, Wales, Australia, France (where it is the 40,099th most common surname) and other English‑speaking nations.

Coat of arms bearing the name Sayer was granted in Cornwall in 1620 by James, the first king of the House of Stuart. The blazon describes a gold field charged with three gold cinquefoils on a back cotised bend. An early emigrant from the family, William Sayers, departed London aboard the ship Bonaventure in January 1634 and is recorded as one of the earliest English colonists to settle in Virginia.

Typical given names associated with the Sayer surname

Male

• Andrew
• Christopher
• David
• James
• John
• Mark
• Michael
• Paul
• Peter
• Richard

Female

• Alison
• Angela
• Catherine
• Christine
• Elizabeth
• Emma
• Jacqueline
• Janet
• Joanne
• Karen
• Margaret
• Mary
• Patricia
• Susan

Similar and related surnames

Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.

How to communicate the surname Sayer in...

Braille

⠎⠁⠽⠑⠗

Morse

....--.--..-.

Semaphore

Surname type: Occupational name

Origin: English

Region of origin: British Isles

Country of origin: England

Religion of origin: Christian

Language of origin: English

Famous people named Sayer

• Leo Sayer - Singer-songwriter, musician, and entertainer
• Malcolm Sayer - Automobile and aerospace engineer (1916 to 1970)
• Eva Sayer - Actress
• Philip Sayer - Actor (1946 to 1989)
• Richard Anthony Sayer - Composer (1917 to 2009)
• Gerry Sayer - Test pilot (1905 to 1942)
• George Sayer - Writer (1914 to 2005)
• Rob Sayer - Cricketer
• Andy Sayer - Professional football player
• Peter Sayer - Welsh football player
• Bill Sayer - Rugby league player (1934 to 1989)
• John William Sayer - Recipient of the Victoria Cross (1879 to 1918)
• James Sayer - (1826 to 1908)
• John Sayer - (1920 to 2013)

Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.

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