Sayer is a surname derived for an occupational name. This may be related to Sawyer, which is where the woodcutter comes in, or to Sayer as in a person who says for a living, ie a reciter.

One of the more subtle occupational surnames, Sayer is a pleasant, open, last-name-first name, particularly apt for a family of woodworkers -- or writers. Some parents are beginning to consider Sayer as a less popular alternative to Sawyer, which it may be a variation of, or a separate occupational name for someone who recited poetry and news, or even another occupational name an for assayer, who tested metals or tasted food.