Sweedland History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancient history of the Sweedland name begins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the family resided in the area that was referred to as Sweetland found in the county of Devon. The surname Sweedland is a habitation name that was originally derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. The surname originated as a means of identifying individuals from a particular area. In the Middle Ages people often assumed the name of the place that they originally lived as their surname during the course of travel. As a general rule, the greater the distance between an individual and their homeland, the larger the territory they were named after. For example, a person who only moved to another parish would be known by the name of their original village, while people who migrated to a different country were often known by the name of a region or country from which they came.

Early Origins of the Sweedland family

The surname Sweedland was first found in Devon where from ancient times they held Sweetland's Farm, a name which would later become a surname and a place name in Devon. 1

Another source presumes that the name could have been from Swithland, a parish, in the union of Barrow-upon-Soar, hundred of West Goscote,in Leicestershire. 2

Early History of the Sweedland family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sweedland research. Another 51 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Sweedland History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sweedland Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Sweedland include Sweetland, Swithland and others.

Early Notables of the Sweedland family

More information is included under the topic Early Sweedland Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Sweedland family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Sweedland or a variant listed above: H.B. Sweetland and his wife Mrs. J. Sweetland arrived in San Francisco Cal. in 1852. In Newfoundland, Henry Sweetland settled in St. John's in 1787; William in English Harbour in 1790.

Citations +

Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Charnock, Richard, Stephen, Ludus Patronymicus of The Etymology of Curious Surnames. London: Trubner & Co., 60 Paternoster Row, 1868. Print.