2000
#3,292
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,987
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.70
Uncommon Last name
Seward
Derived from an Old English place name meaning "salty spring" or "sour spring," referring to a person who lived near one.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,036 Americans carry the last name Seward. That puts it at #3,605 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.22 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 31,058 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Seward surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Seward with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
11K
1 in 31,058
Census rank
#3,605
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.6K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,624 bearers of the surname Seward in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.22 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3605th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Seward, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.8%. The next largest groups are Black (19.3%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Seward
Among Census respondents with the surname Seward, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.8%. The next largest groups are Black (19.3%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Seward bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Seward surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White71.8% · 6,907
- Black or African American19.3% · 1,862
- Two or more races4.5% · 432
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 301
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 62
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 60
Timeline
Historical Census data for Seward
Seward appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#3,430
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,399
+412 bearers (+4.1%)
Per 100,000 3.53
Rank movement Down 138 places
2020
#3,605
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,624
-775 bearers (-7.5%)
Per 100,000 3.22
Rank movement Down 175 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,292 | 9,987 | 3.70 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,430 | 10,399 | 3.53 | +412 bearers (+4.1%) | Down 138 places |
| 2020 | #3,605 | 9,624 | 3.22 | -775 bearers (-7.5%) | Down 175 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Seward surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,430 | #3,605 | -5.1% |
| Count | 10,399 | 9,624 | -7.5% |
| Per 100K | 3.53 | 3.22 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Seward bearers went from 10,399 to 9,624 (-7.5% change). The surname moved down 175 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,430 to #3,605.
FAQ
Seward surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Seward?
Name Census estimates that about 11,036 living Americans carry the surname Seward. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 31,058 residents.
How common is Seward?
Seward ranks #3,605 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.22 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,624 people with the surname Seward. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,036), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.22 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.22 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Seward.
Has Seward become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Seward went from 10,399 recorded bearers to 9,624. That is a decrease of 775 (-7.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,430 to #3,605.
What does the Census say about the background of Seward?
Among Census respondents with the surname Seward, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.8%. The next largest groups are Black (19.3%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Seward in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.8% (6,907 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Seward appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (71.8%), Black (19.3%), Two or More Races (4.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Seward (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Seward mean?
Derived from an Old English place name meaning "salty spring" or "sour spring," referring to a person who lived near one. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Seward (3.22 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Seward?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.