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

Seward, 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 Seward surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Seward in America

Seward is the 3430th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Seward surname appeared 10,399 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Seward.

We can also compare 2010 data for Seward 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 Seward

The surname Seward originated in England, with its roots tracing back to the medieval era. It is derived from the Old English words "sæ" meaning "sea" and "weard" meaning "guard" or "watchman." Therefore, the name Seward likely referred to someone who guarded or watched over the sea or coast.

The earliest known record of the name Seward comes from the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The Domesday Book mentions several individuals with the surname Seward or variations such as Sewarde or Sewerd.

During the Middle Ages, the name Seward was particularly prevalent in the coastal regions of England, particularly in the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex. This geographical association aligns with the name's maritime origins.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Seward was William Seward, who lived in the 12th century and held lands in Somersetshire. In the 13th century, a Sir Richard Seward served as a knight and landowner in Gloucestershire.

The name Seward has also been connected to various place names throughout England, such as Sewardstone in Essex and Sewardsly in Yorkshire. These place names likely derived from the surname itself, reflecting the presence of individuals bearing the Seward name in those areas.

Notable historical figures with the surname Seward include:

1. Thomas Seward (1708-1790), an English writer and theologian.
2. Anna Seward (1742-1809), an English romantic poet and literary critic.
3. William H. Seward (1801-1872), an American statesman who served as the United States Secretary of State under Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson.
4. George Seward (1809-1890), an English architect and surveyor.
5. George F. Seward (1840-1910), an American lawyer and politician who served as the 20th United States Secretary of State from 1901 to 1905.

While the surname Seward has its roots in medieval England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including North America and other English-speaking countries, carried by individuals of English descent.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Seward

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

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

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

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