Discussion on the origins of the name.
The meaning of the Sabey surname is a puzzle. Most sources state it is derived from the Latin "Sabinus" or "Sabina", a member of the ancient Italian Sabine tribe who had a number of saints named after them. None of the sources offer persuasive evidence that this was the origin of the name.
Surnames arose from many sources such as from a physical description of the person, their occupation or where they lived.
In the absence of any clues for personal characteristics or trades that could have become one of the variants of Sabey, it is worth investigating whether migration from elsewhere created the surname.
There are places in Sweden called Saeby, and three in Denmark called Saeby. Perhaps Sabey and its variants are Scandinavian? Click Saebye Denmmark for further discussion.
Post script: Research undertaken since this article was written, has shown that early members of the Saby/Sabie family in Northamptonshire, Essex and Huntingdonshire were yeomen. Therefore they either leased or owned their land. If they did come from abroad, they very soon made enough money to afford this, or earned land from loyalty to those in a position to reward them. During the 15th and 16th century, three Saby/Sabie/Sabey name holders were curates or sub deacons of the church, suggesting some form of education.