Explore the Family Name Sewell
The meaning of Sewell
English: 1. from the Middle English personal name Siwal(d), Sewal(d), Old English Sigeweald, from sige ‘victory’ + weald ‘rule(r)’, or the corresponding Old Norse Sigvaldr. This name later became thoroughly confused with Sewal(d), from Old English Sǣweald (see Sewall). 2. habitational name from one or more places, such as Sewell (Bedfordshire), Seawell (Northamptonshire), Sywell (Northamptonshire), Showell in Steeple Barton (Oxfordshire), Showell in Little Tew (Oxfordshire), or Sowell in Kentisbeare (Devon), all meaning ‘seven springs’ (Old English seofon + wella). Compare Seawell.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Sewell in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Sewell has seen a minor shift between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Sewell ranked 1586 in terms of popularity, but by 2010 it had slipped slightly to a rank of 1614, representing a -1.77% change. However, the count of individuals bearing the surname increased by 7.51% from 20,736 in 2000 to 22,294 in 2010. The proportion per 100,000 people also decreased marginally from 7.69 in 2000 to 7.56 in 2010, marking a -1.69% change.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,586 | #1,614 | -1.77% |
| Count | 20,736 | 22,294 | 7.51% |
| Proportion per 100k | 7.69 | 7.56 | -1.69% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Sewell
When considering the ethnic identity associated with the Sewell surname, data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows some interesting shifts. White individuals constitute the largest group with the Sewell surname, though their percentage decreased from 72.12% in 2000 to 69.47% in 2010. Meanwhile, Black individuals made up the second-largest group, increasing slightly from 23.42% in 2000 to 24.23% in 2010. The greatest percentage increase was observed among those identifying as Hispanic, rising from 1.5% in 2000 to 2.4% in 2010. Individuals identifying as two or more races also saw a significant increase from 1.71% in 2000 to 2.61% in 2010. For Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Natives, there were smaller changes noted.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 72.12% | 69.47% | -3.67% |
| Black | 23.42% | 24.23% | 3.46% |
| Two or More Races | 1.71% | 2.61% | 52.63% |
| Hispanic | 1.5% | 2.4% | 60% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.54% | 0.65% | 20.37% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.71% | 0.64% | -9.86% |
Sewell ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Sewell is British & Irish, which comprises 57.5% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (19.4%) and Scandinavian (3.4%). Additional ancestries include Nigerian, Eastern European, Italian, Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 57.5% |
| French & German | 19.4% |
| Scandinavian | 3.4% |
| Other | 19.8% |
Possible origins of the surname Sewell
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Sewell have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 86.80% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 86.80% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 86.80% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 86.60% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 86.40% |
What Sewell haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Sewell is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include I-Z190 and I-M223, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Hilliard, Henderson, Morgan, Cameron, Phillips, Jones, Sherman, Shaw, Hopkins, Burton.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Sewell surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Sewell have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Sewell" Surname 44.3%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Sewell" Surname 27.8%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Sewell" Surname 24.6%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Sewell" Surname 19.2%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Sewell?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Sewell are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition