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

Sweazey, 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 Sweazey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sweazey in America

Sweazey is the 63698th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sweazey surname appeared 313 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 Sweazey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sweazey 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 Sweazey

The surname Sweazey originated in the English county of Dorset in the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "swete" meaning sweet and "ey" meaning island, likely referring to a person who lived on a pleasant island or near a sweet-smelling meadow.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1293, where a Richard de Sweteye is mentioned. The name was also present in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1279, where it was spelled as Swetteye.

The Sweazey surname can be traced back to the village of Swetton in Staffordshire, which was recorded as Swetteye in the Domesday Book of 1086. This suggests that the name may have originated from a place name referring to a sweet-smelling or pleasant location.

In the 16th century, the name was often spelled as Sweetzer or Sweitzer, reflecting the evolution of the English language over time. One notable figure was John Sweitzer, born in 1563, who was a prominent merchant in London during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Another early bearer of the name was William Sweatzer, born in 1602 in Dorset, who was a farmer and landowner. His descendants later adopted the spelling Sweazey, which became the more common form of the surname in the 17th and 18th centuries.

In the 19th century, several individuals with the Sweazey surname achieved notable accomplishments. Benjamin Sweazey (1804-1884) was a successful businessman and philanthropist in New Hampshire, USA, who funded the construction of a public library in his hometown.

Another notable figure was Sarah Sweazey (1815-1897), an educator and advocate for women's rights in Ohio, USA. She established one of the first schools for girls in the state and campaigned for equal educational opportunities for women.

During the American Civil War, Captain John Sweazey (1833-1864) served in the Union Army and was killed in action at the Battle of Cold Harbor in Virginia. His bravery and sacrifice were recognized with a posthumous award for valor.

Moving into the 20th century, Arthur Sweazey (1866-1949) was a prominent architect in New York City, known for designing several iconic skyscrapers and public buildings in the Art Deco style.

These individuals and their stories illustrate the rich history and diverse accomplishments associated with the Sweazey surname over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sweazey

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

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

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

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