Find out how popular the last name Saw is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Saw.

Saw, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Saw surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Saw in America

Saw is the 33121st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Saw surname appeared 691 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Saw.

We can also compare 2010 data for Saw to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Saw

The surname Saw originates from England, where it is believed to have first appeared in the 13th century. It is likely derived from the Old English word "sagu" or "saga," meaning a sawyer or woodcutter. This occupational surname was given to those whose trade involved cutting wood or working with saws.

One of the earliest known references to the surname Saw can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Leicestershire in 1212, which mention a person named Richard le Saugar. This early spelling variation highlights the connection to the word "sawyer."

In the 14th century, records show the name spelled as "Sawer" and "Sawyer" in various regions of England, including Yorkshire, Cambridgeshire, and Oxfordshire. These variations further reinforce the occupational origin of the name.

The Saw surname is also found in several early English records, such as the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279, which lists a William le Sawere. Additionally, the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1332 mention a John le Sawyere.

One notable individual bearing the surname Saw was Robert Saw, a 16th-century English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, from 1564 to 1577.

Another well-known figure was James Saw, an English politician who lived from 1782 to 1859 and served as a Member of Parliament for Calne from 1826 to 1832.

In the 17th century, the Saw surname can be found in various parish records across England, indicating its widespread distribution. One example is William Saw, who was baptized in 1620 in St. Mary's Parish, Nottingham.

Moving into the 18th century, a notable individual was Samuel Saw, an English clockmaker born in 1701 in Wapping, London. He was known for his exceptional craftsmanship and contributed to the development of precision timekeeping.

The 19th century saw the rise of John Saw, a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. He was born in 1784 and achieved the rank of Vice Admiral.

While the Saw surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and continues to be found in various countries today.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Saw

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Saw.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Saw was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Saw has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Saw was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Saw, please contact us.

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