Find out how popular the last name Seaward is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Seaward.

Seaward, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Seaward surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Seaward in America

Seaward is the 43077th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Seaward surname appeared 502 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Seaward.

We can also compare 2010 data for Seaward to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Seaward

The surname Seaward has its origins in medieval England, where it first emerged as a locational name for someone who lived near the sea or by the coast. It is derived from the Old English words "sæ" meaning sea, and "weard" meaning guard or keeper, suggesting that the earliest bearers of this name may have lived in coastal regions and were tasked with guarding or keeping watch over the shoreline.

During the medieval period, the name Seaward was particularly prevalent in coastal areas of southern and eastern England, such as Norfolk, Suffolk, and Kent. It is recorded in various spellings, including Seward, Seeward, and Sheeward, reflecting the regional variations in dialect and pronunciation at the time.

One of the earliest known records of the name Seaward can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Siwardus" and "Siwart." This suggests that the name had already established itself in England by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, a notable figure with the surname Seaward was Sir John Seaward, a knight who fought in the Crusades and was known for his bravery and valor on the battlefield. Another prominent individual was William Seaward, a wealthy merchant from Norfolk who lived in the 14th century and was involved in the wool trade with continental Europe.

During the Tudor period, the name Seaward was associated with the coastal town of Seaward, located in Northumberland. This place name likely influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname in that region.

In the 17th century, a notable bearer of the name was Thomas Seaward, a renowned maritime explorer and navigator who sailed extensively in the Atlantic and Caribbean. His exploits and discoveries contributed to the expansion of British naval power and trade during that era.

Another individual of note was Elizabeth Seaward, born in 1675, who was one of the earliest female writers and poets in England. Her works, although not widely published during her lifetime, provided a glimpse into the literary talents of women in the late 17th century.

As the centuries passed, the Seaward surname continued to be associated with coastal regions and maritime activities, reflecting the name's origins and historical significance.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Seaward

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Seaward.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Seaward was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Seaward has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Seaward was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Seaward, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!