Unisex name · English
Sawyer
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: woodcutterSawyer is a gender-neutral name that comes from English and means "woodcutter". It is used in English.
- Meaning
- Woodcutter
- Origin
- English
- Gender
- Unisex
- US rank
- #291 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Sawyer
As a gender-neutral name, Sawyer comes from English and means "woodcutter". It is used in English.
As a boy's name, Sawyer comes from English and means "woodcutter". It is used in English.
Sawyer is also a surname: the 718th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 46,929 people. See the most common last names.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Sawyer on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Sawyer on 7 lists.
“The nickname of James Ford on the TV series Lost”
From Nicknames for James, nicknames inspired by famous Jameses
“An old trade name for a wood cutter”
From Redneck names for boys, outdoorsy country boy names
“Woodcutter; English. Nod to Mark Twain's boy hero”
From Boy middle names, surname middle names for boys
“A worker who sawed timber into planks”
From Cool last names, cool occupational last names
“English job name for one who saws wood; frontier-tough”
From Cowboy names, western boy names
“Woodcutter; English, the last name of Mark Twain's Tom”
From Gender neutral names, popular gender-neutral names
“The crew member trusted with the chainsaw”
From Names for firefighters, wildland firefighter names
How popular is Sawyer?
In 2025, 1,056 girls and 2,941 boys in the US were named Sawyer.
As a girl’s name
- US rank in 2025
- #291
- 1,056 babies, 657 per million girls
- Best rank
- #216 in 2021
- Most babies: 1,428 in 2018
- Babies since 1986
- At least 18,338
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 0 per million |
| 1930s | 0 per million |
| 1940s | 0 per million |
| 1950s | 0 per million |
| 1960s | 0 per million |
| 1970s | 0 per million |
| 1980s | 3 per million |
| 1990s | 23 per million |
| 2000s | 64 per million |
| 2010s | 545 per million |
| 2020s | 734 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #245 | #225 | #219 | #248 | #239 | #216 | #242 | #280 | #297 | #291 |
As a boy’s name
- US rank in 2025
- #122
- 2,941 babies, 1,722 per million boys
- Best rank
- #94 in 2015
- 4,272 babies that year
- Babies since 1913
- At least 65,838
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 1 per million |
| 1920s | 0 per million |
| 1930s | 0 per million |
| 1940s | 0 per million |
| 1950s | 0 per million |
| 1960s | 0 per million |
| 1970s | 0 per million |
| 1980s | 15 per million |
| 1990s | 177 per million |
| 2000s | 509 per million |
| 2010s | 1,810 per million |
| 2020s | 1,729 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #97 | #95 | #100 | #106 | #116 | #114 | #131 | #127 | #131 | #122 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names spelled like Sawyer
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- SameerBreeze, wind (Sanskrit, boy)
- SanderDefender of men (Greek, boy)
- SayedLord, master (Arabic, boy)
Middle names for Sawyer
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More names from English
- LilianaLatinate form of Lillian, probably from Elizabeth or Lily (English, girl)
- LilyLily flower (English, girl)
- SamanthaPerhaps a feminine form of Samuel with the suffix antha (English, girl)
- AinsleyFrom a place named for a solitary or hermitage clearing (English, unisex)
- ArmstrongStrong in the arm (English, boy)
- CataleyaFrom cattleya, an orchid named for William Cattley (English, girl)
- EvelynFrom a surname derived from the given name Aveline (English, girl)
- HeatherHeather plant (English, girl)
- JacksonFrom a surname meaning son of Jack (English, boy)
- LillyVariant of Lily, the flower (English, girl)
Sawyer: common questions
What does the name Sawyer mean?
Sawyer comes from English and means "woodcutter". It also has another origin: the same meaning in another language.
Is Sawyer a boy or girl name?
Sawyer is used for both boys and girls. In 2025, 1,056 girls and 2,941 boys in the US were named Sawyer, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name Sawyer come from?
Sawyer comes from English and means "woodcutter". Today it is used in English.
How popular is the name Sawyer?
Sawyer ranked #291 in the US in 2025, with 1,056 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Sawyer?
Names spelled like Sawyer include Sameer, Sander and Sayed.
What middle names go with Sawyer?
Middle names that flow well with Sawyer include Belle, Daisy, Drake, Ethan and Faith. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.