Save Type Surname (from occupation) Usage English Pronounced Pron. /ˈsɔɪ.əɹ/, /ˈsɔ.jəɹ/ [key·simplify] Meaning & History Occupational name meaning "sawer of wood, woodcutter" in Middle English, ultimately from Old English sagu meaning "saw". Mark Twain used it for the main character in his novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876). Related NamesDetails RootsaguGiven Name DescendantSawyer(English) Categories English nouns, Heathers characters, insects, isograms, occupations, TV presenters, word names