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

Sowards, 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 Sowards surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sowards in America

Sowards is the 9503rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sowards surname appeared 3,420 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 Sowards.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sowards 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 Sowards

The surname SOWARDS is of English origin, originating in the medieval era. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "sow" and "herd," which referred to someone who herded or kept swine. The name would have initially been an occupational surname, referring to the profession of the individual.

During the Middle Ages, surnames were often adopted to distinguish individuals within a community. The earliest recorded instances of the name SOWARDS can be traced back to the 13th century in various county records and census rolls throughout England.

One of the earliest known references to the name SOWARDS is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275, which mentions a John Sowards. Another early record is from the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1279, listing a William Sowards as a resident of the county.

Variations in the spelling of the name were common during this period, with some historical documents referring to SOWARDS as Sowerds, Sowrds, or Sowehird. These different spellings likely stemmed from regional dialects and the inconsistent use of written English at the time.

In the 14th century, the SOWARDS name appears in several tax and land records across various English counties, indicating a widespread distribution of the surname. Notable individuals from this period include Geoffrey Sowards, a landowner in Somerset mentioned in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1327.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the SOWARDS name continued to be found across England, with concentrations in the counties of Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, and Somerset. One prominent figure from this era was Richard Sowards, a merchant and alderman in Bristol who lived from 1548 to 1618.

In the 18th century, the SOWARDS name appeared in various parish records and church registers throughout England. Some notable individuals from this period include John Sowards (1712-1793), a farmer and landowner in Gloucestershire, and Thomas Sowards (1755-1821), a member of the clergy in Worcestershire.

As the centuries progressed, the SOWARDS name spread beyond England, with individuals carrying the surname migrating to other parts of the British Isles and eventually to the colonies in North America and other regions of the world.

While not as widespread as some other English surnames, the SOWARDS name has a rich history rooted in the medieval era and has been carried by individuals from various walks of life over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sowards

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

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

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

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