Surname Sawyers - Meaning and Origin

Exploring the Deep Scottish Roots of my Surname ‘Sawyers’ using iGENEA DNA Test

Unearthing my lineage through the iGENEA DNA test was a journey that extended beyond my wildest expectations. Delving into my ancestral past, I discovered the deep roots of my surname, Sawyers, stretching back to its Celtic origins.

J. Sawyers

Sawyers: What does the surname Sawyers mean?

The last name Sawyers is of English origin and holds occupational significance. The name is derived from the Middle English term "sawier" which effectively translates to "one who saws." This suggests that the original bearers of the surname Sawyer were likely individuals who worked as sawyers, demonstrating expertise in using a saw, especially in occupations such as carpentry or logging. Such occupational surnames were often bestowed based on an individual’s profession, thus providing information about the kind of work one's medieval ancestors were engaged in. Therefore, the last name Sawyers is a testament to the woodworking skill and manual labor of the individual's ancestors. It was quite common in medieval England to use such identifiers which over time, were passed down the generations as surnames.

Sawyers: Where does the name Sawyers come from?

The last name Sawyers is most commonly found in the United States. In 2020, Sawyers was the 1,904th most common surname in the United States, with approximately 19,681 people bearing the name. Sawyers can be particularly found in the southeastern states of the United States, with the highest concentrations in Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and North and South Carolina.

Sawyers is derived from the occupation of sawing or a cutter of stone. As such, the surname is likely to have first been most common in rural areas that involved stone cutting, such as mining, quarrying, and other similar occupations. The same can be said for other geographic regions outside of the United States where Sawyers can be found, with some of the highest concentrations of the surname being found in Wales, England, and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Nova Scotia.

Today, the last name Sawyers can be found in various industries, from manufacturing to the culinary arts. Additionally, the Sawyers name is well-represented in the fields of public service and the military, which are well-anchored in the southeastern United States.

Variations of the surname Sawyers

The surname Sawyers is a variant of Sauer, which is a German surname that means "a man who uses a tool called a sauer". It is a patronymic surname, meaning it is derived from a father's given name. Variants of the surname Sawyers include Sawer, Sauer, Saur, Sawyers, Sawyers, Saywer, Sawer, Sauer, Sauers, Saurer, Saures, and Souers.

In the United States, the variant spelling for Sawyers includes Sawyer, Sauer, Saur, Sawyers, Saywer, Sawer, Sauer, Sowers, Saurors, Saures, and Souers. During the late 1800s and early 1900s, many families with the surname Sawyers immigrated to the United States from Germany, Austria, and Germany-speaking areas.

In the United Kingdom, the variant spellings for Sawyers include Sauwer, Sawer, Saur, Saywer, Sawyer, Saywiure, Sowe, Saurs, Sour, Saw Gryson, and Sayer. The variants of the surname Sawyers were found in England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. There are records that document the presence of the surname Sawyers in England during the Middle Ages.

In other countries, variants of the surname Sawyers include Saurer, Sauerwasser, Sore, Seure, Siers, Saurir, Sauerauer, Sauerweiss, and Saurowitz. Most of these variants originated from Germany or the German-speaking areas.

No matter the variant spelling, all of the aforementioned spellings of Sawyers can be traced back to the original German surname of Sauer.

Famous people with the name Sawyers

• Ben Sawyer: American saxophonist, teacher, author, and advocate of traditional jazz
• Lawrence A. Sawyers: American physicist and former Chairman of Applied Physics at Stanford University
• Jimmy Sawyers: American actor and assistant director
• Peter Sawyers: English-born American musical composer and conductor
• Walt Sawyers: Former Major League Baseball outfielder
• John Sawyers: Former Major League Baseball pitcher
• Julian Sawyers: English cricketer
• Sebastian Sawyers: American musician and multi-instrumentalist
• Michael Sawyers: Former Major League Baseball pitcher
• Emma Sawyers: British actress

Other surnames

Sawyer