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

Sugden, 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 Sugden surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sugden in America

Sugden is the 20057th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sugden surname appeared 1,333 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 Sugden.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sugden 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 Sugden

The surname Sugden is of English origin, derived from the Old English words 'sūg' meaning 'rush' and 'denu' meaning 'valley.' It likely originated in the 13th century as a toponymic name, referring to someone who lived near a rush-filled valley.

Sugden is predominantly found in Yorkshire and Lancashire, where it first appeared in historical records. The earliest known instance of the name dates back to 1275, when a Robert de Suggedene was listed in the Wakefield Court Rolls of Yorkshire.

During the 14th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as Sugden, Suggedene, and Suggedyn. In the 1379 Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire, the name was recorded as Sugdyn.

One notable historical reference to the Sugden surname is in the Coucher Book of Furness Abbey, a medieval manuscript from the 12th to 16th centuries. It mentions a Henry de Suggedene who held lands in Dalton, Lancashire, in the early 14th century.

Among the earliest recorded individuals with the Sugden surname is John Sugden, who was born in Yorkshire around 1510. Another early bearer of the name was William Sugden, a yeoman farmer from Keighley, Yorkshire, who lived in the late 16th century.

In the 17th century, the Sugden family had established themselves as landowners and prominent figures in various Yorkshire towns, such as Bradford and Keighley. One notable member was John Sugden (1616-1694), a wealthy wool merchant and benefactor from Keighley.

In the 18th century, Edward Sugden (1769-1842) was a renowned English lawyer and judge, serving as Lord Chancellor of Ireland from 1835 to 1841.

Another famous bearer of the Sugden surname was Sir William Sugden (1793-1875), a British engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of steam engines and railway technology.

In the 19th century, Sir Lebbeus Sugden (1827-1892) was a prominent English lawyer and politician, serving as a Member of Parliament for Guildford from 1867 to 1892.

The Sugden surname has also been associated with notable figures in the arts and literature, such as John Sugden (1918-1992), an English author and biographer known for his works on Nelson and the Napoleonic Wars.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sugden

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

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

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

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