2000
#5,526
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,782
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.14
Rare Last name
Salyers
An English occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of salt.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,754 Americans carry the last name Salyers. That puts it at #5,675 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.97 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 50,748 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Salyers surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
6.8K
1 in 50,748
Census rank
#5,675
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,890 bearers of the surname Salyers in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.97 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5675th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Salyers, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Salyers
The surname Salyers originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "salor," which referred to a seller or trader. The name likely originated as an occupational surname, given to individuals who were involved in selling goods or merchandise.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Salyers can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, a census-like record compiled in 1273. The entry lists a "John le Salyer" as a resident of the county.
In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various forms, including Saler, Saylor, and Saylour. These spellings reflect the variations in pronunciation and spelling that were common during that time period.
The Salyers surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Salhurst in Kent and Salewhich in Cheshire. It is possible that some individuals bearing the name Salyers may have derived their surname from these locations.
One notable individual with the surname Salyers was John Salyers, a prominent merchant in Bristol, England, who lived in the late 15th century. Records indicate that he was involved in the wool trade and held significant influence in the city.
In the 16th century, the Salyers surname appeared in various historical documents, including parish records and court rolls. One such record from 1587 mentions a Thomas Salyers, a landowner in Gloucestershire.
Another individual of note was Robert Salyers, born in 1620 in Northamptonshire. He was a farmer and landowner who played a role in the English Civil War, supporting the Parliamentarian cause.
During the 17th century, the Salyers surname also gained a foothold in the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of William Salyers, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 and became a prominent landowner and tobacco planter.
In the 18th century, the surname Salyers continued to be found in various parts of England and the American colonies. One notable figure was Elizabeth Salyers, born in 1712 in Lincolnshire, who was a renowned midwife and herbalist.
As the centuries passed, the Salyers surname spread throughout different regions of the world, reflecting the migration patterns of individuals bearing this name. Despite its diverse geographical distribution, the surname Salyers remains rooted in its English origins and occupational heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Salyers
Among Census respondents with the surname Salyers, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Salyers bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Salyers surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.2% · 5,487
- Two or more races3.2% · 189
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 126
- Black or African American0.6% · 37
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 33
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Salyers
Salyers appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#5,645
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,152
+370 bearers (+6.4%)
Per 100,000 2.09
Rank movement Down 119 places
2020
#5,675
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,890
-262 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 1.97
Rank movement Down 30 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,526 | 5,782 | 2.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,645 | 6,152 | 2.09 | +370 bearers (+6.4%) | Down 119 places |
| 2020 | #5,675 | 5,890 | 1.97 | -262 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 30 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Salyers surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,645 | #5,675 | -0.5% |
| Count | 6,152 | 5,890 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 2.09 | 1.97 | -5.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Salyers bearers went from 6,152 to 5,890 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 30 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,645 to #5,675.
FAQ
Salyers surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Salyers?
Name Census estimates that about 6,754 living Americans carry the surname Salyers. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 50,748 residents.
How common is Salyers?
Salyers ranks #5,675 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.97 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,890 people with the surname Salyers. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,754), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.97 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.97 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Salyers.
Has Salyers become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Salyers went from 6,152 recorded bearers to 5,890. That is a decrease of 262 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,645 to #5,675.
What does the Census say about the background of Salyers?
Among Census respondents with the surname Salyers, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Salyers in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.2% (5,487 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Salyers appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.2%), Two or More Races (3.2%), Hispanic (2.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Salyers (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Salyers mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of salt. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Salyers (1.97 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Salyers?
See how many Americans have the surname Salyers on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.