Surname Sweesy - Meaning and Origin
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Sweesy: What does the surname Sweesy mean?
The surname Sweesy is of English origin and is derived from the Middle English adjective sweesy, meaning “pleasant” or “agreeable”. This surname is prevalent throughout Britain, particularly in England, Wales, and Scotland, and is most common in the southwest of England, specifically Cornwall and Devon.
The Sweesy family can be linked to areas in South West England, where they are believed to have originated. Cornish and Devonian records from the 12th century show the Sweesy surname being linked to a family of landed gentry in the region. The earliest record of the Sweesy name in the United States dates to 1748, when Niel Sweesy immigrated from Cornwall to Philadelphia and was registered as a passenger in the port of Philadelphia shipping records.
The Sweesy surname has become symbolic of a family that values kindness, acceptance, and pleasantry throughout generations. It is believed to have originated with the notion of ‘SWEESyness’: a combination of friendliness, engagement, and cheerfulness. This name continues to make its presence felt in the world and represents an admirable spirit of fortitude and optimism.
Order DNA origin analysisSweesy: Where does the name Sweesy come from?
The last name Sweesy is a common variation of the more widespread Sweezy surname, which itself is believed to be of medieval English origin. The Sweezy name is mainly found in Britain, but it has migrated to the United States in limited numbers.
Today, people with the Sweesy name can be found living in Great Britain, Ireland, Australia, Canada, and the United States. On the 2020 Census, Sweesy was the 6,348th most popular surname in the United States, with 874 individuals identified with the name. It was the 2,404th most popular name in England and Wales, with 464 recorded individuals; however, it was not found in Scotland's 2019 data release.
In Australia, there were 60 people with the Sweesy surname recorded on the 2016 census. In 2011, there were 77 residents of Canada who had identified Sweesy as their last name. Across Ireland, there were 112 individuals listed with the Sweesy surname in 2018.
Given these data, the Sweesy last name remains a relatively uncommon surname in most countries. As the Sweesy name is a derivative of Sweezy, the total count of people with the Sweesy surname is likely much higher than the individual statistics for Sweesy suggest.
Variations of the surname Sweesy
The surname Sweesy has many variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin.
Sweesy is an Americanized name of German origin, derived from a Middle High German name “Sweiz” or “Sweit”, which originally meant “peaceful” or “gentle”. The original name may be derived from the Middle High German word for black, “swart”.
Common variants of Sweesy include Swasey, Swasie, Sweazy, Sweezy, Sweesey, Sweesy, Swascy, Swatzie, Szwejcy, Swaisie, and Sweazy.
In German speaking countries, the surname has also been somewhat distorted to be rendered as Swesz, Swesche, Szwycky, Szwyki, Szwyke, Swaske, Sweshe, Swessick, Swesick, and Szweski.
In England and Ireland, the surname Sweesy is rendered as Sweat, Sweatman, Sweatmane, Sweatmas, Sweatmase, Sweatman, Sweatner, Sweatz, Sweatzon, Sweetz, and Sweate.
In Scotland, Sweesy is also spelled Swse, Sussie, Swsi, Swsey, Swvey, Swey, Swszy, Sweis, Sweese, and Sweese.
In Scandanavia, Sweesy is spelled Swäs, Sweæs, Sweæsey, Sveyse, Svæsse, Sweæsen, Sweese, Szwes, Svessey, and Szwesen.
Finally, variant spellings of Sweesy are also found in Italy, the Netherlands and Spain. These spellings include Sweiss, Sweisition, Sweisz, Sweisen, Swéesón, Swize, Swisesz, Sweiszen, and Sweisson.
In summary, the surname Sweesy has numerous variants and spellings, as well as many surnames of the same origin. It is clear that Sweesy has been rendered differently in multiple countries and language that have been exposed to its German roots over the years.
Famous people with the name Sweesy
- David Sweesy: American lawyer, co-founder of the Washington Legal Foundation and professor of legal theory at the George Washington University Law School.
- Peter Sweesy: Senior executive at Microsoft and chairman and CEO of U.S. Venture Partners.
- Margaret Sweesy: Businesswoman, investor and philanthropist.
- Brian Sweesy: Guitarist, music composer and producer.
- Amy Sweesy: Award-winning author of historical fiction.
- William Sweesy: Film and television actor, best known for playing Dr. Phillip McAdams in the television series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
- Vernon Sweesy: Former NBA player who played for the Utah Jazz and Atlanta Hawks.
- Ken Sweesy: Retired American professional wrestler and manager best known for his tenure in the World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment.
- Vanessa Sweesy: Journalist and TV presenter.
- Donnie Sweesy: Singer and songwriter.
- George Sweesy: Visual effects artist.
- Melissa Sweesy: Olympic figure skater.
- Peter Sweesy: Architect.
- Ward Sweesy: Cartoonist, illustrator, children’s book author and artist.
- Jacob Sweesy: Actor and musician.
- Zachary Sweesy: Professional Football player.
- Phyllis Sweesy: Actress.
- Nathan Sweesy: Painter and sculptor.
- Mitchell Sweesy: Grammy Award-winning music executive and producer.
- Sam Sweesy: Award-winning filmmaker.