2000
#11,355
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,549
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.94
Rare Last name
Sayler
An occupational surname referring to a rope maker or someone who sells ropes and cords.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,899 Americans carry the last name Sayler. That puts it at #11,840 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.85 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 118,232 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sayler 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Sayler with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.9K
1 in 118,232
Census rank
#11,840
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,528 bearers of the surname Sayler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.85 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11840th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sayler, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sayler
The surname Sayler has its origins in Germany, where it first emerged as an occupational name during the late Middle Ages, around the 13th or 14th century. It is derived from the Old German word "seilar," meaning "rope maker" or "sailor." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name were likely involved in occupations related to maritime activities or the production of ropes and cords.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Sayler surname can be found in the historical records of the city of Augsburg, Germany, where a certain Ulrich Sayler was documented as a resident in the year 1368. The name also appears in various other German municipal records and chronicles from the 14th and 15th centuries, often with slight variations in spelling, such as "Seiler," "Seyler," or "Sailer."
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Sayler name spread beyond Germany to other parts of Europe, particularly to regions with significant German populations or cultural influences. For instance, in the Netherlands, a notable figure named Pieter Sayler (1548-1625) was a renowned painter and engraver from the city of Utrecht.
In England, the name appears to have been introduced by German immigrants or possibly through trade and cultural exchanges. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of John Sayler, a merchant from London who was mentioned in the records of the East India Company in the early 17th century.
Another notable individual was Johann Sayler (1719-1801), a German-born engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of early steam engines and industrial machinery. He spent a significant portion of his career in England, where he collaborated with renowned figures such as James Watt.
As the Sayler name continued to spread throughout Europe and beyond, it found its way to various other regions, including North America. One of the earliest recorded instances in the American colonies was that of Heinrich Sayler, a German immigrant who settled in Pennsylvania in the early 18th century.
Overall, the surname Sayler has a rich history that can be traced back to its occupational origins in medieval Germany. Despite its relatively modest beginnings, the name has been carried by several notable individuals throughout history, highlighting its enduring presence and significance across various cultures and regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sayler
Among Census respondents with the surname Sayler, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Sayler 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 Sayler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.4% · 2,362
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 75
- Two or more races1.7% · 44
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 21
- Black or African American0.6% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sayler
Sayler appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#11,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,754
+205 bearers (+8.0%)
Per 100,000 0.93
Rank movement Down 81 places
2020
#11,840
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,528
-226 bearers (-8.2%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Down 404 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,355 | 2,549 | 0.94 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,436 | 2,754 | 0.93 | +205 bearers (+8.0%) | Down 81 places |
| 2020 | #11,840 | 2,528 | 0.85 | -226 bearers (-8.2%) | Down 404 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 Sayler 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 | #11,436 | #11,840 | -3.5% |
| Count | 2,754 | 2,528 | -8.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.93 | 0.85 | -9.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sayler bearers went from 2,754 to 2,528 (-8.2% change). The surname moved down 404 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,436 to #11,840.
FAQ
Sayler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sayler?
Name Census estimates that about 2,899 living Americans carry the surname Sayler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 118,232 residents.
How common is Sayler?
Sayler ranks #11,840 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.85 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,528 people with the surname Sayler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,899), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.85 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.85 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Sayler.
Has Sayler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sayler went from 2,754 recorded bearers to 2,528. That is a decrease of 226 (-8.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,436 to #11,840.
What does the Census say about the background of Sayler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sayler, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Sayler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.4% (2,362 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sayler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.4%), Hispanic (3.0%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Sayler (2000, 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 Sayler mean?
An occupational surname referring to a rope maker or someone who sells ropes and cords. 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 Sayler (0.85 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 Americans have the surname Sayler?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.