2000
#131,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sewick
A topographic surname denoting someone living near a marsh or sedge wetland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Sewick. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sewick 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.
Bearers in the US
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Sewick in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sewick, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sewick
The surname SEWICK is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, derived from the Old English words "seó" meaning "sea" and "wīc" meaning "dwelling" or "farm". This suggests that the name likely referred to individuals who lived near the sea or along the coast.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "Sewyk" and "Sewyke". These early spellings highlight the variations in spelling that were common during that era.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John de Sewyke, who was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Northumberland in 1279. Another notable individual was William Sewick, a landowner in Yorkshire, whose name appears in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in 1348.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname seems to have been concentrated in the northern counties of England, particularly around the coastal regions of Northumberland and Yorkshire. This lends further credence to the theory that the name originated from those residing near the sea.
In the 18th century, a prominent figure bearing the SEWICK surname was Robert Sewick (1720-1786), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Newcastle upon Tyne. His family's prosperity allowed him to acquire significant estates in the surrounding areas.
Another notable individual was Elizabeth Sewick (1774-1849), a renowned author and poet from Durham, whose works were widely acclaimed during her lifetime. Her collection of poems, titled "Musings by the Seaside," was published in 1832 and reflected her appreciation for the coastal landscapes.
Throughout history, variations of the spelling have included Sewick, Sewicke, Sewyke, and Sewik, among others. While the name may have originated from a specific geographic location, it has since been carried by individuals across different regions of England and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sewick
Among Census respondents with the surname Sewick, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Sewick 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 Sewick surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 111
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.5% · 3
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sewick
Sewick 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
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,791 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+1 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,892 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #131,366 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 8,791 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 1,892 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 Sewick 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 | #140,157 | #142,049 | -1.3% |
| Count | 119 | 120 | 0.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sewick bearers went from 119 to 120 (+0.8% change). The surname moved down 1,892 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #142,049.
FAQ
Sewick surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sewick?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Sewick. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Sewick?
Sewick ranks #142,049 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 120 people with the surname Sewick. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Sewick.
Has Sewick become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sewick went from 119 recorded bearers to 120. That is an increase of 1 (+0.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Sewick?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sewick, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%). 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 Sewick in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sewick appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Hispanic (2.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%). 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 Sewick (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 Sewick mean?
A topographic surname denoting someone living near a marsh or sedge wetland. 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 Sewick (0.04 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 share the surname Sewick?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.