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

Sweeden, 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 Sweeden surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sweeden in America

Sweeden is the 40610th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sweeden surname appeared 538 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 Sweeden.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sweeden 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 Sweeden

The surname Sweeden originated in England during the late medieval period, deriving from the Old English word "swēon" meaning a herdsman or swineherd. It likely referred to an occupation or place of residence near a forest or area where swine were grazed.

In the 13th century, records show variations like Sweyn, Swein, and Swane appearing in Norfolk and Suffolk counties of East Anglia. By the 14th century, spellings closer to the modern Sweeden started emerging, such as Sweydene in Cambridgeshire.

One of the earliest known references is to a William Sweyden listed in the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk in 1273. The Swedens of Gunton Hall in Suffolk can trace their lineage back to Robert Sweidene in 1326.

The name Sweeden appears in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, recorded as Suueiden, Suein, and Suuen. These entries refer to landholders and tenants in Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex counties after the Norman conquest.

Notable historical figures bearing this surname include Sir John Sweeden (1576-1654), an English politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1618. Richard Sweeden (1671-1735) was a British naval officer and author of novels set at sea.

Martha Sweeden (1727-1800) was a pioneering American printmaker and engraver active in Boston during the late colonial era. Reverend Samuel Sweeden (1782-1864) was an influential Methodist minister and abolitionist in Pennsylvania.

In the realm of literature, author Michael Sweeden (1892-1957) authored several acclaimed novels depicting life in rural England during the early 20th century, including "The Hidden Valley" and "The Shining Meadows."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sweeden

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

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

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

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