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

Sweetwood, 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 Sweetwood surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sweetwood in America

Sweetwood is the 55619th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sweetwood surname appeared 369 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 Sweetwood.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sweetwood 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 Sweetwood

The surname Sweetwood has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period around the 13th century. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from a place where sweet-smelling wood or trees were found, possibly in a wooded area or forest. The name may have originated from the Old English words "swete" meaning sweet and "wudu" meaning wood.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Sweetwood can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which mentions a John de Swetewode. This suggests that the name was already in use by that time and may have originated from a specific location in Oxfordshire.

In the late 14th century, the Sweetwood name appeared in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where a Richard de Swetewode was mentioned in 1379. This indicates that the name had spread to different parts of England by that time.

During the 16th century, the Sweetwood name was found in various parish records across England. Notable individuals included Thomas Sweetwood, who was born in Berkshire in 1521, and William Sweetwood, who was born in Gloucestershire in 1578.

In the 17th century, the Sweetwood family had established itself in various counties across England. One noteworthy individual was John Sweetwood, born in Leicestershire in 1632, who served as a member of the Parliament during the English Civil War.

The 18th century saw the Sweetwood name spread further across England and into Scotland. A prominent figure was Robert Sweetwood, born in Northumberland in 1712, who was a renowned scholar and author of several books on philosophy and theology.

As the centuries progressed, the Sweetwood name continued to be found in various regions of England and Scotland. Some notable individuals include Mary Sweetwood, born in Warwickshire in 1821, who was a prominent advocate for women's rights, and William Sweetwood, born in Renfrewshire, Scotland, in 1872, who became a successful industrialist and philanthropist.

While the Sweetwood name has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through immigration and migration. However, the earliest recorded instances and historical references point to its origins in medieval England, where it likely began as a locational name associated with a place known for its sweet-smelling woods or forests.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sweetwood

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

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

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

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