Say Family History

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Say Name Meaning

English (of Norman origin): habitational name from Sai in Orne or Say in Indre, perhaps so called from a Gaulish personal name Saius + the Latin locative suffix -acum. English: metonymic occupational name for a maker or seller of say, a kind of finely textured cloth, Middle English say (from Old French saie, Latin saga, plural of sagum ‘military cloak’). In some instances the surname may have arisen from a nickname for an habitual wearer of clothes made of this material. Southern French: topographic name from saix ‘rock’ (Latin saxum), or a habitational name from a place named with this word, for example, Say in Loire, Saix in Tarn and Vienne, Le Saix in Hautes-Alpes, or Les Saix in Isère.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


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

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Say Family Origin

Where is the Say family from?

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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 the UK in 1891. In 1911 there were 29 Say families living in Ontario. This was about 43% of all the recorded Say's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Say families in 1911.
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.

View Census Data for Say

Say Family Occupations

What did your Say ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Labourer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the CA named Say. 18% of Say men worked as a Labourer and 34% of Say women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Say were Cabinet Maker and Servant

View Census data for Say | Data not to scale

Top Male Occupations in 1921

  • Labourer
    18%
  • Salesman
    9%
  • Arpenter
    5%
  • Cabinet Maker
    5%

Top Female Occupations in 1921

  • Housekeeper
    34%
  • Saleslady
    34%
  • Servant
    34%

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

Say Historical Records

What Say family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 28,000 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.

Search 1881 Canadian census records for Say

Passenger List

There are 4,000 immigration records available for the last name Say. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Say immigration records

Draft Card

There are 22,000 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.

View all Say military records

You've only scratched the surface of Say family history.

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Say Life Expectancy

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.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Say

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.

Famous Say Family Ancestors

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