Saxe last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Saxe

A locational surname originating from the region of Saxony, Germany.

Saxe, 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 Saxe surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Saxe in America

Saxe is the 16250th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Saxe surname appeared 1,776 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Saxe.

We can also compare 2010 data for Saxe 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.

20102000Change (%)
Rank16250160621.16%
Count1,7761,6576.93%
Proportion per 100k0.600.61-1.65%

The history of the last name Saxe

The surname Saxe is of German origin, derived from the Old Saxon word "Sahso", which means "knife" or "sword". It is believed to have originated in the region of Lower Saxony, located in northwestern Germany.

The name Saxe is closely associated with the Saxons, a Germanic people who played a significant role in the history of Europe during the Middle Ages. The Saxons were known as skilled warriors and craftsmen, particularly in metalwork and weaponry.

One of the earliest known references to the name Saxe can be found in the Frankish Annals, a historical chronicle written in the 9th century. The annals mention individuals with the name "Saxo" or "Saxonis", indicating the presence of the name during that time period.

In the 11th century, the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and resources commissioned by William the Conqueror, includes entries for individuals with the surname Saxe or Saxson, suggesting the name's presence in England after the Norman Conquest.

Some notable historical figures with the surname Saxe include:

  1. Albert of Saxe (1316-1390), a German prince and military leader during the 14th century.
  2. Maurice of Saxe (1696-1750), a famous French military commander and marshal during the War of the Austrian Succession.
  3. John Godfrey Saxe (1816-1887), an American poet and satirist known for his humorous works.
  4. Hermann Saxe (1851-1935), a German-American artist and illustrator who contributed illustrations to various publications.
  5. Adolphus Saxe (1842-1903), an American politician and lawyer who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives.

The name Saxe has also been associated with various place names, particularly in Germany, such as Saxony (Sachsen), a region in eastern Germany that was once the homeland of the Saxons. Additionally, the name has been linked to older spellings of place names like Saxham in Suffolk, England, which was recorded as "Saxham" in the Domesday Book.

Over the centuries, the surname Saxe has spread throughout Europe and beyond, carried by individuals and families of Saxon descent or those who adopted the name for various reasons. It remains a prominent surname in many parts of the world, with a rich history rooted in the ancient Germanic culture and traditions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Saxe

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

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 Saxe was:

Race/EthnicityPercentageTotal Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only95.05%1,688
Non-Hispanic Black Only(S)%(S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only1.24%22
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native(S)%(S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races1.75%31
Hispanic Origin1.52%27

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 Saxe has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

20102000Change (%)
White95.05%97.34%-2.38%
Black(S)%(S)%(S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander1.24%0.66%61.05%
American Indian and Alaskan Native(S)%(S)%(S)%
Two or More Races1.75%0.84%70.27%
Hispanic1.52%0.78%64.35%

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 Saxe was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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