Given name & surname
Sawyer
“a woodcutter”·“one who works with wood”
Sawyer is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “a woodcutter” (English) and “one who works with wood” (English). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “a woodcutter” (English) and “one who works with wood” (English). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is English.
How it developed
In English usage, Sawyer developed from Seger. In English usage, Sawyer developed from Žagar.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1913. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Sawyer through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 84,176
- 65,838 boys · 18,338 girls
- Most popular year
- 2017
- 5,562 babies
- 2025
- 3,997
- #122 for boys · #291 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −20%
- Easing
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 73% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 2,941 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 122 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 22.7% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 4,272 in 2015. It also appeared in 1,056 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (193). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 56,257 as a first name in 2020; 46,929 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Sawyer’s family of names
In English usage, Sawyer developed from the German form Seger. Sawyer has a related form in Sayer. Sawyer has a related form in Saer.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 10
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Sayervariant
- Sagervariant · German
- Saervariant
- Sauyervariant
- Sawyerrlikely variant
- Sayresvariant
- Sayersvariant
- Sawyersvariant
Show 2 moreShow fewer
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Sawyer
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Sawyer, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Carter
“a transporter of merchandise” · “one who transports goods; one who drives a cart”
93% boys · 7% girls
Parker
“the keeper of the park”
65% boys · 35% girls
Walker
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97% boys · 3% girls
Lincoln
“lake” · “from the village near the lake”
98% boys · 2% girls
Hayden
“from the hedged valley”
68% boys · 32% girls
Remington
“from the town of the raven's family”
65% boys · 35% girls
Ramsey
Ramsey is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “from the raven island; from the island of wild garlic.”
56% boys · 44% girls
Blake
“a dark beauty” · “a dark, handsome man”
60% boys · 40% girls