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

Sether, 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 Sether surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sether in America

Sether is the 66371st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sether surname appeared 298 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 Sether.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sether 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 Sether

The surname SETHER is of Norwegian origin, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have originated in the coastal regions of western Norway, particularly in areas such as Rogaland and Hordaland. The name is derived from the Old Norse word "sætr," which means a mountain pasture or a summer dairy farm.

SETHER was likely an occupational surname, initially given to individuals who worked or lived on these mountain pastures or dairy farms. It may have also been used as a descriptive name for those who resided near such locations. Some of the earliest recorded variations of the name include Sætter, Sætere, and Sæthre.

One of the earliest known references to the SETHER name can be found in the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of medieval Norwegian documents. In this collection, a person named Torstein Sæthre is mentioned in a document dated to around 1340. This suggests that the name was already in use by the 14th century.

In the 16th century, a man named Peder Sether is recorded as having lived in the parish of Lødingen, in the northern region of Norway. This provides evidence of the name's presence in different parts of the country during that time period.

A notable individual with the SETHER surname was Nils Sether (1854-1937), a Norwegian-American author and journalist who immigrated to the United States in the late 19th century. He wrote several books on Norwegian culture and history, including "A History of the Norwegian People in America" published in 1915.

Another prominent figure was Theodor Sether (1850-1922), a Norwegian businessman and politician who served as the mayor of Kristiania (now Oslo) from 1902 to 1904. He was also a member of the Norwegian Parliament and played a role in the dissolution of the union between Norway and Sweden in 1905.

In the late 19th century, a man named Ole Sether (1857-1932) emigrated from Norway to the United States, where he became a successful farmer in Minnesota. His descendants have carried on the SETHER name in various parts of the country.

The name SETHER has also been associated with several place names in Norway, such as Sæthersætra in the municipality of Vågå, and Sæthergardene in the municipality of Eidsvoll. These place names further reinforce the connection between the surname and the geographical features it is derived from.

While the SETHER surname may not be among the most common in Norway today, it has a rich history that can be traced back to the country's rural and agricultural roots. The name has been carried by notable individuals in various fields and has spread to other parts of the world through immigration.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sether

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

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 Sether 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 Sether 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 Sether was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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