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Sayers History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Sayers History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Sayers is a name that came to England in the 11th century wave of migration that was set off by the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Sayers family lived in Essex. Their name, however, is a reference to St. Saire, Normandy, the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. Alternatively, the name could have been a trade name for someone who was "an assayer of metals." 1 And another variation is that it could have been "an Anglo-Norman personal name, as Saher de Quincy, the famous Earl of Winchester." 1 There are at least three other listed origins of the name, but these latter three seem the most probable.

Early Origins of the Sayers family

The surname Sayers was first found in Essex where the family's first listing of the name was found during the reign of Edward II. 1 Omitting the entries as a personal name, we also found: Stephanus filius Seir (1148-1152) and ? filius Saheri (Saieri) c. 1160 in Lincolnshire.

Robertus filius Seer was listed in the 12th century in Nottinghamshire and Richard Sayer was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Devon in 1230. Thomas Sare and John Sayer were listed in the Feet of Fines of Essex in 1292. 2

The Thayer variant produced the Pilgrim Fathers and brothers Thomas Thayer (1596-1665) and Richard Thayer (1601-1664) who were born in Thornbury, Devon. The family were originally from Glastonbury, Somerset, the oldest found was John Tahyer, born c. 1450.

Early History of the Sayers family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sayers research. Another 116 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1560, 1602, 1603, 1625, 1631, 1655, 1695, 1705, 1718 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Sayers History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sayers Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries. For that reason, spelling variations are common among many Anglo-Norman names. The shape of the English language was frequently changed with the introduction of elements of Norman French, Latin, and other European languages; even the spelling of literate people's names were subsequently modified. Sayers has been recorded under many different variations, including Sayer, Sayers, Sayres and others.

Early Notables of the Sayers family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Robert Sayer or Seare (1560-1602), a Benedictine monk, born at Redgrave, Suffolk, the son of John Seare; Sir John Sayer of Bourchers Hall in Essex; and his son, George Sayer (c. 1655-1718), an English courtier and politician, Member of Parliament...
Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Sayers Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sayers Ranking

In the United States, the name Sayers is the 4,565^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Sayers family to Ireland

Some of the Sayers family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 61 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sayers migration to the United States +

To escape the uncertainty of the political and religious uncertainty found in England, many English families boarded ships at great expense to sail for the colonies held by Britain. The passages were expensive, though, and the boats were unsafe, overcrowded, and ridden with disease. Those who were hardy and lucky enough to make the passage intact were rewarded with land, opportunity, and social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families went on to be important contributors to the young nations of Canada and the United States where they settled. Sayerss were some of the first of the immigrants to arrive in North America:

Sayers Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

James Sayers, tailor from Northbourne, who landed in New England in 1634 aboard the ship "Hercules" 4

Sayers Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Frederica Sayers, aged 18, who arrived in West Indies in 1812 4
Mrs. E Sayers, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1855 4
Patrick Sayers settled Newcastle in Delaware in 1858

Sayers migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Sayers Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Robert B Sayers, who landed in Esquimalt, British Columbia in 1862

Sayers migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Sayers Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Sayers, English convict who was convicted in Surrey, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Asiatic" on 5th June 1819, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 5
Mr. George Sayers, English convict who was convicted in Pontefract, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Barossa" on 27th August 1841, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 6
Francis Sayers, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Cheapside" in 1849 7
Johanna Sayers, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Caroline Agnes" in 1850 8
Emma Eng. Sayers, aged 5, who arrived in South Australia in 1852 aboard the ship "Anglia" 9

Sayers migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Sayers Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Burgess Sayers, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
George Sayers, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Asterope" in 1865
Julia Sayers, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Asterope" in 1865
Mary Ann Sayers, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Asterope" in 1865
Thomas Sayers, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Asterope" in 1865
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Sayers (post 1700) +

Gale Eugene Sayers (1943-2020), nicknamed "The Kansas Comet", American former college and professional football running back, inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame
Dorothy Leigh Sayers (1893-1957), English crime writer, poet, playwright, essayist, and translator, one of the four "Queens of Crime" of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction
Joseph Draper "Joe" Sayers (1841-1929), American politician, 22nd Governor of Texas from 1899 to 1903
Private First Class Foster J. Sayers (1924-1944), American soldier awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1944
Frank Sayers (1763-1817), English poet and metaphysician, born in London, son of Francis Sayers, an insurance broker
James Sayers (1748-1823), English caricaturist, born at Yarmouth, the son of the master of a trading vessel
Tom Sayers (1826-1865), English bare-knuckle prize fighter who had 12 wins, 1 loss and 3 draws
Alan John Sayers MNZM (1915-2017), New Zealand track and field bronze medalist athlete at the 1938 British Empire Games
Andrew George Sayers AM (1957-2015), Australian curator and painter, the first director of Australia's National Portrait Gallery from 1998 to 2010
Bernard "Ben" Sayers (1856-1924), Scottish early professional golfer, golf teacher, golf course designer and manufacturer of golf clubs and equipment
... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Sayers family +

HMS Hood

Mr. Robert M Sayers (b. 1922), Scottish Ordinary Seaman serving for the Royal Navy from Cockpen, Midlothian, Scotland, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 10

HMS Repulse

Mr. Mark Sayers, British Stoker 1st Class, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 11
Mr. Mark Sayers, British Stoker 1st Class, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 11

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barossa
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The CHEAPSIDE 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Cheapside.htm
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) CAROLINE AGNES 1850. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1850CarolineAgnes-Hydaspe%20RegisterOct15.gif
South Australian Register Tuesday 3 February 1852. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) ANGLIA 1852. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/anglia1852.shtml
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html