The Sanger surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 3,732 people carried this name — #8,787 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 78,700 people counted. That is up 4% from 3,572 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Sanger surname

A surname originating as an occupation.

An occupational surname from Middle English, from Old English sangere (“singer”).

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Sanger» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as an occupational name: ‘the singer’.

An early record he cites: Robert le Sangar, Somerset, 1327–28 (1 Edward III) — Kirby's Quest (Somerset).

His entry covers Sanger, Sangster, Sanxter, Songster and Songer.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 666 · public domain.

In Argentina’s national register

At least 60 people named Sanger live in Argentina.

RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Buenos Aires Province 40
Río Negro 10
Santa Fe 10

RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.

In Switzerland’s population statistics

44 people named Sanger live in Switzerland.

They live in 6 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Zurich 19
Aargau 7
Bern 7
Lucerne 5
St. Gallen 3
Solothurn 3

Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.

In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 40 people named Sanger.

16 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 10 départements, most often Haut-Rhin.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born

Born outside France 16
Haut-Rhin 6
Bas-Rhin 4
Paris 4
Territoire de Belfort 4
Haute-Garonne 1
Isère 1
Eure-et-Loir 1
Seine-et-Marne 1

Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

34 families named Sanger, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 210 people lived in those households, 6.2 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 4 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Massachusetts 13
Connecticut 10
New Hampshire 5
Pennsylvania 2
Virginia 2
Vermont 1
New York 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 260 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Sanger in American newspapers,
1908–1919.

Newspaper page from The Salt Lake Herald carrying the name Sanger
The Salt Lake Herald 1908-01-26
Newspaper page from The Butte Daily Bulletin carrying the name Sanger
The Butte Daily Bulletin 1919-08-12
Newspaper page from The Butte Daily Bulletin carrying the name Sanger
The Butte Daily Bulletin 1919-07-29

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain.

In print

Sanger in Australian newspapers,
1840s–1990s.

7,199 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Sanger. The most, 1,143, date from the 1900s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Victoria, at 1.3 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 3,012
Victoria 2,022
Queensland 981
South Australia 621
Western Australia 270
Tasmania 241
ACT (Canberra) 30
Northern Territory 2

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Sanger.

Who carried it

People named Sanger,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Zedekiah Sanger
    Zedekiah Sanger 1748–1820 · pastor
  • Jedediah Sanger
    Jedediah Sanger 1751–1829 · judge
  • George Partridge Sanger
    George Partridge Sanger 1819–1890 · judge
  • Eugene Sanger d. 1946 · actor
  • Annie Sanger d. 1884
  • Helen Cornelia Sanger d. 1888

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Sanger,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States845 records

845 records of the Sanger name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 341
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 214
  • Other U.S. records 290
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Edward F. Sänger

    Born 1915 in New York. Enlisted 1944 at New York City; ironworker from Kings County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1972, buried at Long Island National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Rosine Sänger

    Arrived at New York in 1853 aboard the Malabar from Havre, aged 22; farmer. From Prussia, Germany; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Stephen Carroll Sänger

    Born 1946; from Mt Kisco, New York. U.S. Army, infantryman; killed in action 1967 in Hua Nghia, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 845 records for Sanger in the United States.

Counts: NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State, Open NY (police and firefighter memorial rolls) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Germany745 records

745 records of the Sanger name in Germany
  • Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919 720
  • German emigration and citizenship files 21
  • Other German records 4
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Heinrich Sänger

    Born 1899; from Asseln, Dortmund. Reported missing in the Prussian casualty list of 8 February 1919 (Infantry Regiment No. 53).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record Johann Friedrich Sänger

    Left Hauingen for Switzerland in 1885.

    Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek / Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg (CC0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Jakob Sänger

    Named in an application to settle and marry at Kleineibstadt in 1831.

    Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek / Staatsarchiv Würzburg (CC0)

Showing 3 of 745 records for Sanger in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0) · Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0); Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Netherlands233 records

233 records of the Sanger name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 125
  • Dutch population registers 84
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 24
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record David Jaques Sanger

    Married in 1912 in Amsterdam; sales agent. Died 1936 in Bussum, aged 60.

    Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Johanna Elfriede Sänger

    Married in 1935 in Bergambacht; housekeeper. Died 1957 in Gouda, aged 57.

    Open Archives, Streekarchief Midden-Holland (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Johan Hendrik Daniël Sänger

    Married in 1846 in 's-Gravenhage; labourer. Died 1847 in 's-Gravenhage, aged 45.

    Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 233 records for Sanger in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Australia170 records

170 records of the Sanger name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 88
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 48
  • Other Australian records 34
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record William Sänger

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the England, arriving 1835; certificate of freedom 1843.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Lizzie Sänger

    Arrived in Victoria in 1855 aboard the Carntyne, as an infant; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Albert George Sänger

    Gentleman of East Brunswick, Victoria; died 1990.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 170 records for Sanger in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

France25 records

25 records of the Sanger name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Hirch Sänger

    Born 1913 in Poland; died 1995 in Toulouse (Haute-Garonne).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Jacqueline Sänger

    Born 1920 in Magny-les-Hameaux; died 1986 in Le Chesnay (Yvelines).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  3. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Wolfgang Wilhelm Sänger

    Born 1941 in Germany; died 1992 in Équemauville (Calvados).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 25 records for Sanger in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Canada17 records

17 records of the Sanger name in Canada
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 6
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 3
  • Other Canadian records 8
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Jas Sanger

    Came to Ontario in 1871 aboard the Severn, landing at Quebec, bound for Georgetown, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Anthony August Sänger

    Died 1972; buried at Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, British Columbia.

    City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Ivy Sanger

    Died 1905 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 17 records for Sanger in Canada.

Counts: Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

United Kingdom9 records

9 records of the Sanger name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 5
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 4
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mary Sanger

    Buried in 1823 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 62.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record O. Sanger

    Gunner, Royal Field Artillery. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Charles Sanger

    Buried in 1795 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 51.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Showing 3 of 9 records for Sanger in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Sanger.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Sanger is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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