2010
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Saybe
An English surname of unclear origin, possibly derived from a place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Saybe. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Saybe 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Saybe in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Saybe, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 76.1%. The next largest groups are White (21.4%) and Black (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Saybe
The surname Saybe has its origins in the northwestern regions of England, particularly in Lancashire and Yorkshire, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "sæ," meaning "sea," and the Middle English word "byde," meaning "to dwell." Thus, the name likely referred to someone who lived near the sea or by the seashore.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Saybe can be found in the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire from 1379, where it appears as "Sayby." This variation in spelling is typical of surnames from that era, as they often evolved and were adapted based on regional dialects and variations in pronunciation.
During the 15th century, the Saybe family was prominent in the town of Kirkham, Lancashire. Several members of the family are mentioned in local records, including Richard Saybe, who served as a church warden in 1457, and John Saybe, a landowner in the same area in 1482.
In the 16th century, the name Saybe appeared in various legal documents and court records, suggesting that the family had gained a certain level of prominence and influence. One notable example is William Saybe, who was involved in a land dispute in Yorkshire in 1537.
The Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings in England compiled in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Saybe. However, it does mention several place names that may have influenced the development of the name, such as "Sebbe" and "Seyby," which were both located in Yorkshire.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the Saybe surname. One of the earliest was Sir John Saybe (1550-1612), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Lancashire who served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Newton. Another prominent figure was Thomas Saybe (1670-1738), a renowned clockmaker from Yorkshire whose intricate timepieces were highly sought after by the gentry.
In the 19th century, the Reverend Edward Saybe (1812-1879) was a respected clergyman and author from Lancashire, known for his works on theology and church history. Additionally, William Saybe (1832-1901), a successful businessman from Yorkshire, made significant contributions to the industrial development of the region through his textile manufacturing ventures.
Perhaps the most famous individual with the Saybe surname was Sir Arthur Saybe (1875-1952), a distinguished British diplomat and civil servant who served as the Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire during the First World War and played a crucial role in the negotiations that led to the establishment of modern-day Turkey.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Saybe
Among Census respondents with the surname Saybe, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 76.1%. The next largest groups are White (21.4%) and Black (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Saybe 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 Saybe surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino76.1% · 89
- White21.4% · 25
- Black or African American2.6% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Saybe
Saybe appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-1 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,130 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 3,130 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 Saybe 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 | #141,140 | #144,270 | -2.2% |
| Count | 118 | 117 | -0.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Saybe bearers went from 118 to 117 (-0.8% change). The surname moved down 3,130 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #144,270.
FAQ
Saybe surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Saybe?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Saybe. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Saybe?
Saybe ranks #144,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 117 people with the surname Saybe. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Saybe.
Has Saybe become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Saybe went from 118 recorded bearers to 117. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Saybe?
Among Census respondents with the surname Saybe, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 76.1%. The next largest groups are White (21.4%) and Black (2.6%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Saybe in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.1% (89 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Saybe appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (76.1%), White (21.4%), Black (2.6%). 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 Saybe (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 Saybe mean?
An English surname of unclear origin, possibly derived from a place name. 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 Saybe (0.04 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 surname Saybe?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.