Explore the Family Name Sweeney
The meaning of Sweeney
1. Irish and Scottish: shortened form of McSweeney, from Gaelic Mac Suibhne ‘son of Suibhne’, a personal name meaning ‘pleasant’. Loss of initial Mac in this surname seems to have been encouraged by the Irish variant Ó Suibhne. For the Scottish form Mac Shuibhne with loss of the final syllable and lenition of the personal name after Mac, compare McSween and McQueen. 2. Americanized form of French Choiniere. 3. Americanized form of French Chouinard. Compare Swenor. History: Some of the American bearers of the surname Sweeney are descendants of Jacques Chouinard from France (see Chouinard). Some characteristic forenames: Irish Brendan, Donal, Kieran, Eamonn, Paddy, Senan, Tadhg, Aileen, Assumpta, Brennan, Caitlin, Colm.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Sweeney in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Sweeney experienced a fluctuation in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it held the rank of 591 but slipped to 651 by 2010, marking a decrease of 10.15 percent. However, the actual count of people carrying the surname increased by 1.77 percent during the same period from 51,500 to 52,410. Interestingly, the proportion per 100,000 population declined by 6.91 percent, from 19.09 to 17.77.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #591 | #651 | -10.15% |
| Count | 51,500 | 52,410 | 1.77% |
| Proportion per 100k | 19.09 | 17.77 | -6.91% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Sweeney
In terms of ethnic identity, individuals with the Sweeney last name showed some changes between 2000 and 2010. While the majority identified as White (90.60 percent in 2010, down 1.65 percent from 2000), there were also increases in other ethnicities. The number of Hispanic Sweeneys increased by 51.59 percent, and those identifying as Black or Asian/Pacific Islander grew by 8.92 percent and 27.27 percent respectively. The census also showed an increase in individuals of two or more races from 1.06 to 1.30. However, the American Indian and Alaskan Native category saw a decline of 11.36 percent. This data is all according to the Decennial U.S. Census.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 92.12% | 90.6% | -1.65% |
| Black | 4.37% | 4.76% | 8.92% |
| Hispanic | 1.57% | 2.38% | 51.59% |
| Two or More Races | 1.06% | 1.3% | 22.64% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.44% | 0.56% | 27.27% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.44% | 0.39% | -11.36% |
Sweeney 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 Sweeney is British & Irish, which comprises 59.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (17.5%) and Eastern European (6.5%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 59.0% |
| French & German | 17.5% |
| Eastern European | 6.5% |
| Other | 17.1% |
Possible origins of the surname Sweeney
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 Sweeney have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 88.20% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 88.20% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 88.10% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 87.90% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 87.40% |
What Sweeney 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 Sweeney is R-S764, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-S764 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L21 and R-S660, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Macpherson, Mcfarlane, Mcpherson, Mclaren, Salmon, Mcintosh, Christy, Fleming, Griffin, Forbes.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Sweeney 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 Sweeney 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.
"Sweeney" Surname 40.2%
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.
"Sweeney" Surname 27.1%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Sweeney" Surname 20.8%
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.
"Sweeney" Surname 17.0%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Sweeney?
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 Sweeney are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition