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

Sweet, 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 Sweet surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sweet in America

Sweet is the 1169th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sweet surname appeared 30,051 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 10 people would have the surname Sweet.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sweet 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 Sweet

The surname Sweet is of English origin and dates back to the late 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "swete", which means pleasant or agreeable. The name likely referred to someone with a sweet or agreeable disposition.

The earliest recorded use of the surname Sweet can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where it appears as "Swete". Other early spellings include "Swet" and "Suet".

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are references to several place names containing the word "sweet", such as Swetton in Shropshire and Swettenham in Cheshire. These place names may have influenced the development of the surname Sweet in those areas.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Sweet was John Sweet, who was born around 1320 in Gloucestershire, England.

Another notable bearer of the name was Sir William Sweet, a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire in the 15th century.

During the 16th century, the Sweet family established themselves in the county of Norfolk, where they were prominent landowners and gentry. One member of this family was Sir John Sweet, who served as a justice of the peace in Norfolk in the late 1500s.

In the 17th century, the Sweet name can be found in various parts of England, including London and the counties of Berkshire, Dorset, and Somerset. One notable figure from this period was Robert Sweet, a merchant and alderman in the City of London, born in 1620.

In the 18th century, the Sweet family continued to be influential in Norfolk, with several members serving as Members of Parliament and holding positions in the local government. One such individual was Sir Edward Sweet, who was born in 1710 and served as a Member of Parliament for Norfolk.

Throughout history, the Sweet surname has been associated with various professions, including merchants, landowners, politicians, and members of the gentry. While not a particularly common surname, it has been borne by notable individuals across several centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sweet

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

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

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

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