2000
#46,523
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 431
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.16
Very Rare Last name
Sweetin
An anglicized surname derived from the German Süßen, meaning someone from the town of that name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 527 Americans carry the last name Sweetin. That puts it at #49,411 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 650,388 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sweetin surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
527
1 in 650,388
Census rank
#49,411
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
460
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 460 bearers of the surname Sweetin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 49411th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sweetin, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Two or More Races (5.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sweetin
The surname Sweetin is of English origin, with roots tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated as a locational name, derived from the place name "Sweeting" or "Sweetingham," which were small villages or hamlets located in various parts of England.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from the year 1195, where it appears as "Sweting." This suggests that the name was already in use during the late 12th century, likely referring to someone who hailed from one of the Sweeting or Sweetingham settlements.
The name may have its roots in the Old English word "swete," meaning "sweet" or "pleasant," possibly describing the nature of the land or terrain in the areas where the name originated. It could also be related to the Old English word "sweting," which referred to a small or insignificant settlement.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Swetingham" and "Swetyngham," reflecting the evolution of the spelling over time. During this period, the name was also found in the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk, indicating its presence in that region of England.
One notable figure bearing the Sweetin surname was William Sweetin, born in 1587 in Oxfordshire, England. He was a prominent merchant and landowner, leaving behind a substantial estate upon his death in 1654.
Another individual of note was John Sweetin, born in 1632 in Gloucestershire. He served as a member of the British Parliament and was known for his involvement in local politics during the latter half of the 17th century.
In the 18th century, the Sweetin name continued to appear in various records, including parish registers and legal documents. One such example is Thomas Sweetin, born in 1718 in Yorkshire, who became a renowned clockmaker and watchmaker, contributing to the development of timekeeping technology during that era.
Sarah Sweetin, born in 1765 in Wiltshire, was a notable figure in the early 19th century. She was a prominent philanthropist and advocated for the education of underprivileged children, establishing several schools in her local community.
Another individual of significance was Richard Sweetin, born in 1824 in Cheshire. He was a renowned architect and played a crucial role in the design and construction of several iconic buildings in major cities across England during the Victorian era.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sweetin
Among Census respondents with the surname Sweetin, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Two or More Races (5.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Sweetin bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Sweetin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.8% · 390
- Hispanic or Latino7.0% · 32
- Two or more races5.4% · 25
- Black or African American1.3% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sweetin
Sweetin appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#65,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 304
-127 bearers (-29.5%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Down 18,721 places
2020
#49,411
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 460
+156 bearers (+51.3%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Up 15,833 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #46,523 | 431 | 0.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #65,244 | 304 | 0.10 | -127 bearers (-29.5%) | Down 18,721 places |
| 2020 | #49,411 | 460 | 0.15 | +156 bearers (+51.3%) | Up 15,833 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Sweetin surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #65,244 | #49,411 | 24.3% |
| Count | 304 | 460 | 51.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.10 | 0.15 | 53.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sweetin bearers went from 304 to 460 (+51.3% change). The surname moved up 15,833 positions in the national ranking, going from #65,244 to #49,411.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Sweetin
FAQ
Sweetin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sweetin?
Name Census estimates that about 527 living Americans carry the surname Sweetin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 650,388 residents.
How common is Sweetin?
Sweetin ranks #49,411 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.15 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 460 people with the surname Sweetin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (527), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.15 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Sweetin.
Has Sweetin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sweetin went from 304 recorded bearers to 460. That is an increase of 156 (+51.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #65,244 to #49,411.
What does the Census say about the background of Sweetin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sweetin, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Two or More Races (5.4%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Sweetin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.8% (390 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sweetin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.8%), Hispanic (7.0%), Two or More Races (5.4%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Sweetin (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Sweetin mean?
An anglicized surname derived from the German Süßen, meaning someone from the town of that name. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Sweetin (0.15 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Sweetin?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Sweetin, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.