Show ContentsSaynes History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Saynes

What does the name Saynes mean?

The name Saynes is part of the ancient legacy of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is a product of when the family lived in the village of Sainsbury found in the county of Gloucester. The surname Saynes is a habitation name which forms a broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. Habitation names were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Saynes family

The surname Saynes was first found in Gloucestershire where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the census rolls taken by the ancient Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Early History of the Saynes family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Saynes research. Another 60 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1576, 1596, 1607, 1610 and 1787 are included under the topic Early Saynes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Saynes Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Saynes has been spelled many different ways, including Sainsbury, Sansbury, Sainsbery, Sansbery and others.

Early Notables of the Saynes family

John Sandsbury or Sandbury (1576-1610), Latin poet, was born in London. In 1596 he was elected to one of the exhibitions given by St. Paul's school for the...
Another 27 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Saynes Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Saynes migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Sayness to arrive in North America:

Saynes Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Geo Saynes, who arrived in Virginia in 1654 1
  • Henry Saynes, who landed in Virginia in 1664 1


  1. 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)


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