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

Saxon, 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 Saxon surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Saxon in America

Saxon is the 4685th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Saxon surname appeared 7,576 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Saxon.

We can also compare 2010 data for Saxon 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 Saxon

The surname Saxon has its origins in England, dating back to the 5th and 6th centuries when the Saxons, a Germanic tribe, invaded and settled in various parts of the country. The name is derived from the Old English word "Seaxe," which referred to this group of people.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of land and landholders commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Saxun" and "Saxone," reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling during that time.

The surname was particularly prevalent in areas where Saxon settlements were established, such as Sussex, Essex, Middlesex, and parts of Wessex. Some notable individuals bearing the surname include John Saxon (c. 1235-1300), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Essex, and William Saxon (c. 1420-1491), a prominent clergyman who served as the Bishop of Dunkeld in Scotland.

During the Middle Ages, the surname was sometimes associated with specific locations, giving rise to variations like Saxonbury and Saxondale. One noteworthy example is Sir John de Saxondale (c. 1320-1390), a English knight and landowner from Saxondale, a village in Nottinghamshire.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname continued to be found across England, with individuals such as Thomas Saxon (c. 1550-1612), a successful merchant and alderman in London, and Elizabeth Saxon (c. 1630-1690), a Puritan writer and poet from Essex.

Another notable figure was Miles Saxon (1662-1719), a renowned English mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics and the calculation of planetary orbits.

As the centuries progressed, the surname spread to other parts of the world through migration and exploration, with individuals like John Saxon (1785-1848), an English-born merchant and businessman who established a successful trading company in Calcutta, India.

While the surname has maintained its presence throughout history, its origins can be traced back to the Saxon settlers who played a pivotal role in shaping the cultural and linguistic landscape of England during the early medieval period.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Saxon

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!