| ![Show Contents]() Sweart History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
Ireland
Etymology of SweartWhat does the name Sweart mean? The name Sweart most often comes from the Irish name Ó Suaird, which, when Anglicized in a Fiant of 1562, becomes O'Sword. In County Down, in the early 17th century, the name was recorded in the Ulster Inquisitions as Swords, Swoordes, and Sourdes. In County Kildare the name Swords was often a mistranslation of the Irish name Ó Claimhin, which was mistakenly equated with the Irish word "claidheamh" meaning "sword." Thus, the name Clavin is a synonym for Swords. In County Mayo Claveen is also a synonym. In the 14th century the name de Swerdes, derived from the village, appeared in several places in Ireland. Early Origins of the Sweart familyThe surname Sweart was first found in Counties Offaly, Leix, and Kildare, where in 1016, the successor of St. Brigid, abbess of Kildare, was named Ó Suairt according to the Four Masters. (O'Hart) Early History of the Sweart familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sweart research. More information is included under the topic Early Sweart History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Sweart Spelling VariationsBecause early scribes and church officials often spelled names as they sounded, a person could have many various spellings of his name.Many different spelling variations of the surname Sweart were found in the archives researched. These included Swords, O'Sword, O'Swerte, Swoordes, Sourdes, Swerdes, Clavin and many more. Early Notables of the Sweart familyMore information is included under the topic Early Sweart Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Sweart familyIn the 18th and 19th centuries, thousands of Irish families fled an Ireland that was forcibly held through by England through its imperialistic policies. A large portion of these families crossed the Atlantic to the shores of North America. The fate of these families depended on when they immigrated and the political allegiances they showed after they arrived. Settlers that arrived before the American War of Independence may have moved north to Canada at the war's conclusion as United Empire Loyalists. Such Loyalists were granted land along the St. Lawrence River and the Niagara Peninsula. Those that fought for the revolution occasionally gained the land that the fleeing Loyalist vacated. After this period, free land and an agrarian lifestyle were not so easy to come by in the East. So when seemingly innumerable Irish immigrants arrived during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s, free land for all was out of the question. These settlers were instead put to work building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. Whenever they came, Irish settlers made an inestimable contribution to the building of the New World. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the Irish name Sweart or a variant listed above, including: Richard Swords, who was a bonded emigrant from Ireland in 1742; Thomas Swords, who was naturalized in Pennsylvania in 1795; Edward Swords, who was naturalized in Philadelphia in 1816.
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: Paratus
Motto Translation: Paratus.
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