Swetland Surname History

Origins Available:
England

The history of the Swetland family goes back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from the family living in the area that was referred to as Sweetland found in the county of Devon. The surname Swetland 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 Swetland family

The surname Swetland 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 Swetland family

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

Swetland 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 Swetland include Sweetland, Swithland and others.

Early Notables of the Swetland family

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

Swetland migration to the United States +

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 Swetland or a variant listed above:

Swetland Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Swetland, who arrived in New York in 1675 3

Swetland Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

C Swetland, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Swetland (post 1700) +

Neal Swetland, American politician, Socialist Principle Independent Candidate for Oregon State Treasurer, 1928

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.
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)