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

Sween, 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 Sween surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sween in America

Sween is the 41234th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sween surname appeared 528 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 Sween.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sween 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 Sween

The surname Sween is believed to have originated in Scotland, likely during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Scottish Gaelic word "suain," which means "sleep" or "slumber." This suggests that the name may have been originally given as a nickname to someone who was known for sleeping a lot or perhaps for being a heavy sleeper.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sween can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical document that recorded the names of Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. In this document, a certain "William de Sweyn" is listed, which is believed to be an early spelling variation of the surname Sween.

The name Sween also appears in various Scottish records from the 15th and 16th centuries, often associated with regions such as Aberdeenshire and Perthshire. For instance, a "John Sween" is mentioned in the Perth Guildry Book of 1477, indicating the presence of the surname in that area during that time period.

In the 17th century, the name Sween was closely linked to the Scottish Highlands, particularly in regions like Argyll and Bute. One notable individual from this period was Donald Sween (c. 1635-1702), a prominent Highland chief and landowner who played a significant role in the Jacobite uprisings of the late 17th century.

As the centuries progressed, the surname Sween spread across Scotland and beyond. In the 19th century, James Sween (1818-1892) was a Scottish-born businessman and industrialist who made his fortune in the textile industry in the United States.

Another noteworthy individual with the surname Sween was William Sween (1855-1924), a Scottish-born architect who designed several notable buildings in Glasgow and Edinburgh during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

While the surname Sween may have originated as a nickname in Scotland, it has since become a well-established family name with a rich history and connections to various regions and individuals throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sween

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

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

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

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