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

Sayles, 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 Sayles surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sayles in America

Sayles is the 5852nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sayles surname appeared 5,902 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Sayles.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sayles 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 Sayles

The surname SAYLES is of English origin and dates back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "sæl", meaning a hall or manor house. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived in or was associated with a particular hall or manor.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, where it appears as "Hugo de la Sale". This entry provides evidence of the name's early spelling variations, which include Sale, Sayle, and Saylle.

The SAYLES surname is also linked to various place names in England, such as Sawley in Yorkshire, Salley in Norfolk, and Salehurst in Sussex. These place names may have influenced the development and spelling variations of the surname over time.

Notable historical figures with the SAYLES surname include John Sayles (1556-1631), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works. Another prominent individual was Sir John Sayles (1617-1683), an English politician and judge who served as Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer.

During the 17th century, the SAYLES name appeared in the New World, with records indicating the presence of individuals such as Thomas Sayles, who settled in Virginia in 1623. In 1635, Robert Sayles arrived in Massachusetts, becoming one of the early settlers in the American colonies.

Other notable bearers of the SAYLES surname include John Sayles (born 1950), an American independent film director, writer, and actor known for his critically acclaimed works such as "Matewan" and "Lone Star". Additionally, there was Charles Sayles (1901-1964), an American baseball player who played for the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1920s.

The SAYLES name has also been associated with various professions throughout history, including military service. One example is Major General Wilton B. Sayles (1914-1989), a United States Air Force officer who served during World War II and the Vietnam War.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sayles

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Sayles, 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!