Say Family History

Say Surname Meaning

English: of Norman origin a habitational name from Sai in Orne or Say in Indre France perhaps so called from a Gaulish personal name Saius + the Latin locative suffix -acum (see also French name 3 below). English: nickname perhaps for someone who made or sold say a type of woollen cloth or for an habitual wearer of clothes made of this material from Middle English sai(e) ‘say’ (Old French saie from Latin saga plural of sagum ‘military cloak’). See also Sayer.

French (southern): topographic name from saix (from Latin saxum) ‘rock’ or a habitational name from a place called with this word for example Say in Loire Saix in Tarn and Vienne Le Saix in Hautes-Alpes or Les Saix in Isère.

Burmese (Karen): from a personal name usually forming part of a compound name from say ‘silver’. — Note: Since Karens do not have hereditary surnames this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.

Cambodian: written សាយ corresponding to the Khmer word of various possible meanings including ‘(to be) prolific’.

Turkish: ornamental name nickname or topographic name from mostly regional say meaning e.g. ‘flat very thin stone’ and ‘companion’. Amerindian (Guatemala): Mayan name from a term denoting a kind of small fish.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022

Similar surnames: Hay, May, Gay, Ray, Pay, Kay, Fay, Bay, Nay, Way

278,000 record(s) for Say

32K	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
22K	Military Records
4K	Immigration Records
28K	Census and Voter Lists
190K	Member Trees

Where is the Say family from?

You can see how Say families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Say family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Say families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1840 there were 9 Say families living in Pennsylvania. This was about 32% of all the recorded Say's in USA. Pennsylvania had the highest population of Say families in 1840.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Say surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Say ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Say. 19% of Say men worked as a Farmer and 14% of Say women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Say were Truck driver and Clerk.

We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

Farmer

19%

Laborer

19%

Clerk

5%

Truck driver

5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

Teacher

14%

Maid

11%

Housewife

11%

Clerk

9%

What Say family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 28K census records available for the last name Say. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Say census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Passenger List

There are 4K immigration records available for the last name Say. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

Military Records

There are 22K military records available for the last name Say. For the veterans among your Say ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

What is the average Say lifespan?

Between 1960 and 2004, in the United States, Say life expectancy was at its lowest point in 2002, and highest in 1968. The average life expectancy for Say in 1960 was 61, and 65 in 2004.

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Say ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.