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

Sewing, 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 Sewing surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sewing in America

Sewing is the 86005th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sewing surname appeared 217 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 Sewing.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sewing 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 Sewing

The surname Sewing is of English origin and dates back to the 13th century. It is an occupational surname derived from the Old English word "seowian" which means "to sew" or "to make garments." The name was likely given to someone whose occupation was sewing or tailoring.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Sewing can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where it appears as "Roger le Sewere." This early spelling variation highlights the occupational nature of the name.

During the medieval period, surnames were often derived from occupations, and the Sewing surname likely originated in this context. Tailors and sewers played an important role in medieval society, as clothing was a symbol of status and wealth.

The name Sewing can also be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1297, where it appears as "Johannes le Sewer." This record further solidifies the occupational origin of the surname.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various spellings such as "Sewere," "Sewere," and "Seweyere" in various records across England, including the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire and the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Wiltshire.

One notable individual with the surname Sewing was John Sewing, a merchant from London who lived in the early 15th century. He is mentioned in the Letter Books of the City of London from 1419.

Another prominent figure was Sir Thomas Sewing, a courtier and soldier who served under King Henry VIII in the 16th century. He was born around 1490 and died in 1545.

In the 17th century, the surname Sewing can be found in parish records from various parts of England, such as Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, and Wiltshire. One individual worth mentioning is William Sewing, a landowner from Gloucestershire who was born in 1625.

The Sewing surname also has connections to place names in England. For example, the village of Sewingshields in Northumberland may have derived its name from the occupation of sewing or tailoring.

Notable individuals with the surname Sewing include John Sewing (1762-1845), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars, and Mary Sewing (1858-1932), an English author and poet.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sewing

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

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

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

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