Explore the Family Name Sweem

The meaning of Sweem

Dutch: nickname from Middle Dutch sweem, the name of a waterbird, or a topographic name from Middle Dutch sweme ‘wet land, pond’. Alternatively, perhaps Dutch form of the related German surname Schwemm (see Schwemmer). The surname Sweem is not found in the Netherlands. Compare Swaim, Swim, and Swims.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Sweem in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Sweem has seen a slight variation between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Sweem held the rank of 116,835 in terms of popularity, with 138 people carrying the surname per 100,000 individuals. By 2010, the rank slightly dropped to 118,853, while the count increased to 146 individuals per 100,000, indicating a growth of 5.8% over the decade. Despite this increase, the proportion per 100,000 remained steady at 0.05.

	2000	2010	Change
Rank	#116,835	#118,853	-1.73%
Count	138	146	5.8%
Proportion per 100k	0.05	0.05	0%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Sweem

When it comes to ethnicity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals that there has been a significant change in the background of individuals bearing the Sweem surname. In 2000, nearly all (94.93%) individuals with the Sweem surname identified as White. However, by 2010, the percentage had decreased to 87.67%. Interestingly, in 2010, an emergence of Hispanic ethnicity was observed within the Sweem population, registering 7.53%. It is important to note that no individuals with the Sweem surname identified as either Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, or American Indian and Alaskan Native during these years.

	2000	2010	Change
White	94.93%	87.67%	-7.65%
Hispanic	0%	7.53%	0%
Asian/Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0%
Two or More Races	0%	0%	0%
Black	0%	0%	0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native	0%	0%	0%