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

Sevier, 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 Sevier surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sevier in America

Sevier is the 10797th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sevier surname appeared 2,953 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Sevier.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sevier 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 Sevier

The surname Sevier has its origins in France, tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "sévère," meaning "severe" or "stern." This name was likely given as a descriptive nickname to someone with a serious or strict demeanor.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Sevier name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which documented landowners in England following the Norman Conquest. This suggests that the name had already been established in France and was brought over to England by Norman settlers.

During the Middle Ages, the Sevier name was primarily concentrated in the regions of Normandy and Brittany in northwestern France. Variations in spelling, such as Seviere, Sevierre, and Sévière, were common due to the inconsistencies in record-keeping during that time.

In the 13th century, a notable figure named Jacques Sevier (1230-1298) was a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Rouen, Normandy. Records indicate that he was involved in the local government and held influential positions within the city's guilds.

Another historical reference to the Sevier name can be found in the Hundred Years' War between England and France (1337-1453). Jean Sevier (1380-1445) was a French soldier who fought alongside Joan of Arc and was present at the Siege of Orléans in 1429, a pivotal battle that turned the tide of the war in favor of the French.

As the name spread beyond France, it also became associated with various place names. For instance, Sévrier is a commune in the Haute-Savoie region of eastern France, and Sévérac-le-Château is a town in the Aveyron department of southern France, both of which may have influenced the surname's evolution.

In the 16th century, a notable figure named Pierre Sevier (1520-1588) was a Huguenot (French Protestant) scholar and writer who fled religious persecution in France and sought refuge in Geneva, Switzerland. His works on theology and philosophy were highly regarded during the Protestant Reformation.

During the 18th century, John Sevier (1745-1815) was a renowned American soldier, frontiersman, and one of the founders of the state of Tennessee. Born in Virginia, he played a crucial role in the Revolutionary War and later served as the first governor of the Southwest Territory (which later became Tennessee).

Another notable figure with the Sevier surname was Albert Sevier (1786-1848), a French-American military officer who served in the War of 1812 and later became a successful businessman and politician in Arkansas, serving as a state senator and as the state's treasurer.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sevier

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

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

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

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