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Origins of the Saunders surname

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What does the name Saunders mean?

The origin of the Saunders surname is English and Scottish. It has patronymic roots, derived from the name 'Sander', a medieval version of the name 'Alexander'. It has been discovered in records dating back to the 1200s and would have been given to those who were the son or descendant of a person with one of these names.

Alternative variations of the name Saunders

Saunders, Sanders, Sawnders, Sannders, Saunder

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Where do most Saunderses live?

In 1921, most Saunderses lived in London.


Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

Interesting facts about Saunderses

How common is your surname?

120th most common surname in the UK

We have 284,000 records for the Saunders surname. The oldest one dates back to 1532.

Who were Saunderses most likely to marry?

Our Marriage record sets tell us which families married Saunderses.

What are the most common Saunders first names?

  • William
  • John
  • Mary
  • Elizabeth

Our birth record sets tell us the names of Saunders family members

Common jobs for Saunderses

Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

Common Female occupations for Saunderses in 1921
Dressmaker

1,342

Laundress

1,078

General Servant Domestic

806

Domestic Servant

758

General Servant

555

Common Male occupations for Saunderses in 1921
Agricultural Labourer

1,655

General Labourer

1,347

Carpenter

937

Farm Labourer

928

Farmer

660

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Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

We found over 400,000 family trees with the Saunders surname

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