The Sayers surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 7,705 people carried this name — #4,603 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 38,300 people counted. That is up 4% from 7,403 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Sayers surname

An English surname originating as an occupation common in Sussex.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Sayers» (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

An early record he cites: John Sayer, Norfolk, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

His entry covers Sayer and Sayers.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 669 · public domain.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 8 births for the Sayers name in 1890.

Most were registered in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 400 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time.

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

Where they were born, 1890

Ulster 4
Munster 3
Leinster 1

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Sayers was found among the farmers of Sussex: 18 in every 10,000.

Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Sussex 18

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In Scotland’s registers today

Sayers was recorded 10 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 1929th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 11. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In print

Sayers in American newspapers,
1860–1910.

Newspaper page from The Salt Lake Tribune carrying the name Sayers
The Salt Lake Tribune 1910-04-17
Newspaper page from Wood County Reporter carrying the name Sayers
Wood County Reporter 1860-05-05
Newspaper page from Mineral Point Weekly Tribune carrying the name Sayers
Mineral Point Weekly Tribune 1860-05-01

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

In print

Sayers in Australian newspapers,
1830s–1990s.

28,134 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Sayers. The most, 5,459, 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 Western Australia, at 2.8 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 6,948
Western Australia 6,431
Victoria 5,675
Queensland 5,062
South Australia 2,982
Tasmania 818
ACT (Canberra) 148
Northern Territory 26

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

Who carried it

People named Sayers,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Frank Sayers
    Frank Sayers 1763–1817 · writer
  • Frank Sayers
    Frank Sayers 1763–1817 · writer
  • Joseph D. Sayers
    Joseph D. Sayers 1841–1929 · lawyer
  • Robert Sayers
    Robert Sayers 1845–1919 · politician
  • Constance Gertrude Burch d. 1971
  • Edward Sayers d. 1730

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 Sayers,
in the records of 8 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 States904 records

904 records of the Sayers name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 243
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 237
  • Other U.S. records 424
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Charles T. Sayers

    Born 1922 in Georgia. Enlisted 1942 at Fort McPherson Atlanta; auto mechanic from Troup County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 2001, buried at Shadowlawn Cemetery, Lagrange, Georgia.

    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 Annie Sayers

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the Teutonic from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 26; servant. From Clonmel, Ireland; 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 Larry Vencil Sayers

    Born 1947; from Lick Creek, Kentucky. 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 904 records for Sayers in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · 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. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL) · New York State, Open NY (police and firefighter memorial rolls). 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).

Australia866 records

866 records of the Sayers name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 447
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 170
  • Other Australian records 249
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record John Sayers

    Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1837. Married 1837 in Clarence, Tasmania.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. 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 Thomas Sayers

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Asia.

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

    Arrived in Victoria in 1861 aboard the Suffolk, aged 32; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 866 records for Sayers in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); 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).

United Kingdom45 records

45 records of the Sayers name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 29
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 14
  • Scottish rolls of honour, First World War 2
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Michael Sayers

    Buried in 1853 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 33.

    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 C. F. Sayers

    King's (Liverpool Regiment). 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 Wm Sayers

    Buried in 1816 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 67.

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

Showing 3 of 45 records for Sayers 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. · National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain). 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).

Canada44 records

44 records of the Sayers name in Canada
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 11
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 10
  • Other Canadian records 23
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Thos Sayers

    Came to Ontario in 1870 aboard the Moravian, landing at Quebec, bound for Hamilton, 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 Gerald Harvey Sayers

    Buried in 1989 at St. Mary's Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 57.

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

    Died 1911 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

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

Showing 3 of 44 records for Sayers in Canada.

Counts: Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. 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).

New Zealand16 records

16 records of the Sayers name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Henry Hind Sayers

    Died 1928, aged 56; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Laurie Angus Sayers

    Died 1968, aged 29; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record James Sayers

    Died 1915, aged 46; buried at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 16 records for Sayers in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Netherlands13 records

13 records of the Sayers name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 7
  • Dutch population registers 6
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Charles Jacques Sayers

    Died 1893 in Loosduinen, aged 49.

    Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Eugene Willem Sayers

    Married in 1938 in Utrecht.

    Open Archives, Het Utrechts Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Doodgeboren Kind Sayers

    Died 1971 in Tilburg.

    Open Archives, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 13 records for Sayers in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

France5 records

5 records of the Sayers 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 Yves Vincent Eldred Sayers

    Born 1918 in Le Mans (Sarthe); died 2001 in Australia.

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

    Born 1931 in Great Britain; died 1999 in Colmar (Haut-Rhin).

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

    Born 1917 in Great Britain; died 1997 in Bordeaux (Gironde).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 5 records for Sayers 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).

Belgium1 record

1 record of the Sayers name in Belgium Belgian civil registers (births, marriages, deaths)
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Joanna Sayers

    Died 1849 in Dendermonde, aged 66; lacemaker.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Aalst (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Sayers.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Sayers 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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