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

Sayeg, 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 Sayeg surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sayeg in America

Sayeg is the 157234th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sayeg surname appeared 103 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 Sayeg.

The history of the last name Sayeg

The surname SAYEG is of Arabic origin and is believed to have first originated in the Middle East, specifically in areas such as Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine. It is thought to be derived from the Arabic word "sayyag," which means "jeweler" or "goldsmith," indicating that the name may have been given to someone who worked in that trade.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname SAYEG can be found in historical documents from the 16th century in the region of Mount Lebanon. During this time, the name appeared in various spellings, such as Sayegh, Sayigh, and Saiigh, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and transliteration.

In the 17th century, the SAYEG family is mentioned in several Ottoman Empire records, particularly in relation to their involvement in the silk trade and other commercial activities in the Levant region. This suggests that the family had established itself as a prominent merchant class during that period.

As the SAYEG family spread across the Middle East and beyond, the name became associated with various notable individuals throughout history. One such figure was Ibrahim Sayeg (1834-1912), a Lebanese poet and writer who made significant contributions to Arabic literature during the Nahda movement.

Another notable bearer of the SAYEG surname was Fadlou Sayegh (1877-1957), a Lebanese politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Lebanon in the 1940s. He played a crucial role in Lebanon's struggle for independence from French colonial rule.

In the realm of academia, Dr. Nizar Sayegh (1932-2018) was a renowned professor of engineering at the American University of Beirut. He made significant contributions to the field of civil engineering and was widely respected for his research and teaching.

The SAYEG name can also be found in various historical records from other parts of the Middle East, such as Egypt and Iraq. For example, the Egyptian writer and journalist Youssef El-Sayegh (1935-1995) was a prominent figure in the Arab literary scene during the latter half of the 20th century.

As the SAYEG family migrated and settled in different parts of the world, the name took on variations in spelling and pronunciation, reflecting the diverse linguistic influences of the regions they inhabited. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remain rooted in its Arabic heritage and association with the jewelry and goldsmith trades.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sayeg

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

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 Sayeg 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.

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

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

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