Show ContentsSweebee History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The history of the Sweebee family name begins after the Norman Conquest of 1066. They lived in Lincolnshire, at Swaby, a parish, in the union of Louth, Marsh division of the hundred of Calceworth, parts of Lindsey. 1 The Domesday Book of 1086 lists the village as Suabi. 2 The place name literally means "farmstead or village of a man called Svan," from the Viking personal name + "by." 3

Early Origins of the Sweebee family

The surname Sweebee was first found in Lincolnshire at Swaby and it is here that the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 recorded Roger de Swaby as holding lands at that time. 4

Philip de Swaby was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1219 and later, Walter de Swaby was listed in the Feet of Fines for Lincolnshire in 1263. 5

Early History of the Sweebee family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sweebee research. Another 130 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1584, 1767 and 1952 are included under the topic Early Sweebee History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sweebee Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Swaby, Swabey, Swabie, Swabee, Swebie, Swebe and many more.

Early Notables of the Sweebee family

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

Migration of the Sweebee family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Sweebee or a variant listed above were: Joseph James Swaby who landed in America in 1750.



The Sweebee Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Vera Tropae Fides
Motto Translation: Faith is our true trophy.


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  3. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  4. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  5. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)


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