2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Sweatte
A variant of the surname Sweet, of English origin, possibly derived from a nickname for someone with a sweet disposition.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Sweatte. 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 Sweatte 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 Sweatte 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 Sweatte, the largest self-reported group is Black at 50.0%. The next largest groups are White (40.8%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sweatte
The surname "SWEATTE" is believed to have originated in England during the Anglo-Saxon era, which spanned from the 5th to the 11th centuries. It is derived from the Old English word "swete," which means "sweet" or "pleasant." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a nickname to someone with a sweet or amiable personality.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "SWEATTE" can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, including "Swete" and "Swette," reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling that were common during that time.
In the 12th century, a prominent figure named Robert Sweatte was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire, which recorded financial transactions and legal proceedings. This suggests that the family may have held some level of status or importance during that period.
The name "SWEATTE" has also been associated with various place names throughout England. For instance, the village of Swettenham in Cheshire is believed to have derived its name from the Old English words "swete" and "ham," meaning "sweet homestead." This connection to place names further reinforces the geographical roots of the surname.
One notable individual bearing the name "SWEATTE" was Sir John Sweatte, who lived in the 14th century and served as a member of Parliament for Nottinghamshire in 1331. Another prominent figure was William Sweatte, born in 1587, who was a respected merchant and alderman in the city of London.
In the 16th century, the surname "SWEATTE" appeared in the records of the Elizabethan era, with individuals such as Thomas Sweatte, a landowner in Oxfordshire, and Elizabeth Sweatte, who was mentioned in the parish records of St. Giles Cripplegate in London.
Throughout the centuries, the surname "SWEATTE" has been recorded in various spellings, including "Swete," "Sweete," "Swett," and "Swett," reflecting the evolution of language and the influence of regional dialects.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sweatte
Among Census respondents with the surname Sweatte, the largest self-reported group is Black at 50.0%. The next largest groups are White (40.8%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Sweatte 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 Sweatte surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American50.0% · 60
- White40.8% · 49
- Two or more races4.2% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sweatte
Sweatte 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
#134,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
+3 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,915 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-5 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,337 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #128,797 | 122 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #134,712 | 125 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.5%) | Down 5,915 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.0%) | Down 7,337 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 Sweatte 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 | #134,712 | #142,049 | -5.4% |
| Count | 125 | 120 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sweatte bearers went from 125 to 120 (-4.0% change). The surname moved down 7,337 positions in the national ranking, going from #134,712 to #142,049.
FAQ
Sweatte surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sweatte?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Sweatte. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Sweatte?
Sweatte 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 Sweatte. 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 Sweatte.
Has Sweatte become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sweatte went from 125 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #134,712 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Sweatte?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sweatte, the largest self-reported group is Black at 50.0%. The next largest groups are White (40.8%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Sweatte in the 2020 Census, accounting for 50.0% (60 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sweatte appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (50.0%), White (40.8%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Sweatte (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 Sweatte mean?
A variant of the surname Sweet, of English origin, possibly derived from a nickname for someone with a sweet disposition. 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 Sweatte (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 are called Sweatte?
Find out how many people have the surname Sweatte on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.