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

Sweeten, 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 Sweeten surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sweeten in America

Sweeten is the 11200th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sweeten surname appeared 2,822 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Sweeten.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sweeten 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 Sweeten

The surname Sweeten is believed to have originated in England, likely during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "swete," meaning "sweet" or "pleasant." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone with a sweet or pleasant demeanor.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Sweeten can be traced back to the 13th and 14th centuries in various county records and tax rolls. One notable early reference is in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275, which mentions a John Swetemon.

In the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which were a survey of landowners in England, there is a record of a Robert Sweteman residing in Oxfordshire. This spelling variation, "Sweteman," provides insight into the name's evolution over time.

The Sweeten surname is also found in the Feet of Fines for Essex from 1310, which were legal records of land transfers. This suggests that the name was present in various regions of England during the medieval period.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Sweeten was William Sweeten, who was born around 1480 in Worcestershire, England. He was a farmer and landowner during the reign of Henry VII.

In the 16th century, a notable figure with the surname Sweeten was John Sweeten (c. 1525-1589), a merchant and alderman in the city of London. He was involved in the wool trade and served as an alderman during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

During the 17th century, a prominent individual with the Sweeten surname was Robert Sweeten (1616-1687), a wealthy landowner and member of the gentry in Gloucestershire. He was involved in local politics and served as a Justice of the Peace.

Another notable figure was Reverend Samuel Sweeten (1650-1721), an Anglican clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Sutton Coldfield in Warwickshire. He published several religious works during his lifetime.

In the 18th century, a notable Sweeten was Captain William Sweeten (1720-1789), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War.

These examples illustrate the presence of the Sweeten surname across various regions of England and its association with individuals from different social backgrounds, from landowners and merchants to clergymen and military officers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sweeten

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

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

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

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