How Many People Are Named Sayer?

An estimated 402 people in the United States have the first name Sayer. It is predominantly male (97.3%). The average bearer is 18 years old, and Sayer peaked in popularity in 2017 with 28 births that year.

Below you will find a full statistical profile of Sayer as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Sayer paired with any surname.

Estimated Living Americans

402

About 1 in 852,623 people in the U.S.

Rarity

Very Rare

Very Rare Very Common

Predicted Gender

Male

97.3% confidence

Average Age

18

years old

Peak Year

2017

28 births

Total Registered

407

since 1880

Gender Distribution for Sayer

Sayer is predominantly male (97.3%), though 11 female births have been registered. It functions as a unisex name for a small percentage of bearers.

Male 396 (97.3%)
Female 11 (2.7%)

Sayer as a male name

Ranked #12,070 in 2024

6 male births in 2024

Peak: 2017 (28 births)

Sayer as a female name

Ranked #15,266 in 2019

6 female births in 2019

Peak: 2019 (6 births)

Sayer in the 2020 Census

The 2020 Census recorded 466 people with the first name Sayer, which placed it at #21,691 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.

Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.

Gender in the 2020 Census

In the 2020 Census, Sayer was recorded as predominantly male. Out of 466 people with this name in that snapshot, 84.5% were male and 15.5% were female. That is less heavily male than the long-run SSA birth pattern on this page, which sits at 97.3% male.

Census Count

466

people with this name

Census Rank

#21,691

among Census first names

Frequency Rate

0.15

per 100,000 people

Male 394 (84.5%)
Female 72 (15.5%)

Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census

In the 2020 Census, the first name Sayer was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (77.14%). The next largest recorded groups were Hispanic (10.90%) and Two or More Races (6.20%).

These percentages describe the people who had the first name Sayer in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.

White
77.14%
Black
1.92%
Hispanic
10.90%
Asian/Pacific Islander
2.78%
American Indian/Alaska Native
1.07%
Two or More Races
6.20%

2020 Census demographic breakdown

Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Sayer.

Group Share Count
White 77.14% 361
Hispanic 10.90% 51
Two or More Races 6.20% 29
Asian and Pacific Islander 2.78% 13
Black 1.92% 9
American Indian and Alaska Native 1.07% 5

The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.

Sayer: Popularity Over Time

SSA records for Sayer span from the 1980s to the 2020s, covering 5 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 2010s, when 160 babies were registered. Sayer has declined significantly from its peak in the 2010s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.

Male
Female
0 6 11 17 22 28 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020

Sayer by Decade

How has Sayer tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.

Decade Total Male Female
1980s 10 10 0
1990s 74 74 0
2000s 131 126 5
2010s 160 154 6
2020s 32 32 0

Sayer + Last Name Combinations

How many people share a full name with Sayer as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.

Sayer: Questions and Answers

How many people in the U.S. are named Sayer?

We estimate approximately 402 people named Sayer are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 852,623 Americans share this first name.

Is Sayer a common name?

Sayer is classified as "Very Rare" and is more popular than 82.4% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 407 births have been registered with this name since 1880.

When was Sayer most popular?

Sayer reached peak popularity in 2017, when 28 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Sayer is approximately 18 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.

How common was Sayer in the 2020 Census?

The 2020 Census recorded 466 people with the first name Sayer. That placed it at #21,691 in the published Census first-name tables, or 0.15 people per 100,000.

Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?

Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.

What does the SSA popularity chart show?

The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Sayer was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.

What does the Census say about the gender split for Sayer?

In the 2020 Census snapshot, Sayer was recorded as predominantly male. The published split was 84.5% male and 15.5% female.

What does the Census say about the background of people named Sayer?

In the 2020 Census, the first name Sayer was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (77.14%). The next largest recorded groups were Hispanic (10.90%) and Two or More Races (6.20%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.

Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?

The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.

Does every first name have Census demographic data?

No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.

Is Sayer a male name?

Sayer is predominantly male. 97.3% of people with this name are male. See the gender breakdown above for full details.

Why can Sayer have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?

Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Sayer peaked in 2017, and the average living bearer is about 18 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.

How many Sayer Smiths are there?

To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Sayer Smith, Sayer Johnson, Sayer Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.

Where does this data come from?

Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.

Search for a full name combination