Explore the Family Name Sawyer
The meaning of Sawyer
1. English: occupational name for someone who earned his living by sawing wood, from Middle English sauer(e), sauw(i)er, also sagh(i)er, sag(i)er ‘sawyer’, a derivative of Old English sagu ‘saw’. 2. Americanized form of some similar (like-sounding) Jewish surname, or translation into English of Jewish Seger or some other surname meaning ‘sawyer’, e.g. German Sager and Slovenian Žagar (see Zagar). 3. In some cases also an Americanized form of French Séguin (see Seguin).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Sawyer in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Sawyer has seen a slight decline between 2000 and 2010. Ranked as the 646th most popular name in 2000, it slipped to the 707th spot in 2010, marking a decline of approximately 9.44 percent. Despite the drop in rank, the actual count of individuals with the Sawyer surname increased by 2.19 percent during this period, growing from 47,979 to 49,028. However, when considering the proportion per 100,000 people, there was a 6.58 percent decrease, falling from 17.79 in 2000 to 16.62 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #646 | #707 | -9.44% |
| Count | 47,979 | 49,028 | 2.19% |
| Proportion per 100k | 17.79 | 16.62 | -6.58% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Sawyer
In terms of ethnicity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals some shifts among those bearing the Sawyer surname between 2000 and 2010. There was a notable increase among Asian/Pacific Islanders and those identifying as Two or more races, with growth rates of 36.54 percent and 25.16 percent respectively. The Hispanic population also saw significant growth at 53.69 percent. The number of Whites slightly declined by 2.05 percent, while the Black population showed a minor increase of 2.48 percent. Those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native remained relatively stable, with a small decrease of 3.39 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 82.52% | 80.83% | -2.05% |
| Black | 13.29% | 13.62% | 2.48% |
| Hispanic | 1.49% | 2.29% | 53.69% |
| Two or More Races | 1.59% | 1.99% | 25.16% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.52% | 0.71% | 36.54% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.59% | 0.57% | -3.39% |
Sawyer ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Sawyer is British & Irish, which comprises 53.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (23.4%) and Scandinavian (4.0%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Nigerian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 53.9% |
| French & German | 23.4% |
| Scandinavian | 4.0% |
| Other | 18.7% |
Possible origins of the surname Sawyer
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Sawyer have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 87.60% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 87.60% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 87.40% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 87.40% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 87.20% |
What Sawyer haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Sawyer is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L719 and R-L51, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Pereira, Fernandez, Souza, Powell, Oliveira, Santos, Fernandes, Byrd, Silva, Grimm.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Sawyer surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Sawyer have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Sawyer" Surname 43.5%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Sawyer" Surname 28.9%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Sawyer" Surname 22.0%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Sawyer" Surname 19.3%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Sawyer?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Sawyer are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition