Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Sawyer” come from?

Sawyer comes from Middle English sawior, a person who operates a saw, ultimately derived from the verb saw.

Ancestry of “Sawyer”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Swedishsegervictory
2Old Norsesigrvictory
3Proto-Germanicsegazvictory, triumph
4Proto-Indo-Europeanséǵʰospower, strength
5Proto-Indo-Europeanseǵʰ-to hold; to overpower
Every word from Proto-Indo-European seǵʰ- →