NameCensus.

UK surname

Seward

Derived from an Old English place name meaning "salty spring" or "sour spring," referring to a person who lived near one.

In the 1881 census there were 1,635 people recorded with the Seward surname, ranking it #2,618 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,896, ranked #3,354, down from #2,618 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Kingsclere and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Barnsley, East Devon and Bath and North East Somerset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Seward is 2,101 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 16.0%.

1881 census count

1,635

Ranked #2,618

Modern count

1,896

2016, ranked #3,354

Peak year

1911

2,101 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Seward had 1,635 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,618 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,896 in 2016, ranked #3,354.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,101 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Seward surname distribution map

The map shows where the Seward surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Seward surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Seward over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 1,160 #2,429
1861 historical 1,024 #2,737
1881 historical 1,635 #2,618
1891 historical 1,707 #2,652
1901 historical 1,845 #2,849
1911 historical 2,101 #2,386
1997 modern 1,986 #3,072
1998 modern 2,007 #3,149
1999 modern 2,051 #3,118
2000 modern 2,041 #3,114
2001 modern 1,989 #3,124
2002 modern 2,030 #3,134
2003 modern 1,972 #3,151
2004 modern 1,951 #3,182
2005 modern 1,913 #3,205
2006 modern 1,915 #3,215
2007 modern 1,928 #3,215
2008 modern 1,917 #3,249
2009 modern 1,956 #3,277
2010 modern 1,969 #3,314
2011 modern 1,946 #3,317
2012 modern 1,909 #3,314
2013 modern 1,943 #3,317
2014 modern 1,960 #3,311
2015 modern 1,923 #3,332
2016 modern 1,896 #3,354

Geography

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Where Sewards are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Kingsclere, London parishes and St Thomas the Apostle, Whitestone. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Barnsley, East Devon, Bath and North East Somerset and Copeland. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Kingsclere Hampshire
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 St Thomas the Apostle, Whitestone Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Barnsley 022 Barnsley
2 East Devon 005 East Devon
3 Bath and North East Somerset 001 Bath and North East Somerset
4 Copeland 008 Copeland
5 East Devon 007 East Devon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Seward

These lists show first names that appear often with the Seward surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Seward

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Seward, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Seward surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Seward household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Seward is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Seward is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Seward falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Seward is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Seward, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Seward

The surname Seward originated in England, with its roots tracing back to the medieval era. It is derived from the Old English words "sæ" meaning "sea" and "weard" meaning "guard" or "watchman." Therefore, the name Seward likely referred to someone who guarded or watched over the sea or coast.

The earliest known record of the name Seward comes from the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The Domesday Book mentions several individuals with the surname Seward or variations such as Sewarde or Sewerd.

During the Middle Ages, the name Seward was particularly prevalent in the coastal regions of England, particularly in the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex. This geographical association aligns with the name's maritime origins.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Seward was William Seward, who lived in the 12th century and held lands in Somersetshire. In the 13th century, a Sir Richard Seward served as a knight and landowner in Gloucestershire.

The name Seward has also been connected to various place names throughout England, such as Sewardstone in Essex and Sewardsly in Yorkshire. These place names likely derived from the surname itself, reflecting the presence of individuals bearing the Seward name in those areas.

Notable historical figures with the surname Seward include:

1. Thomas Seward (1708-1790), an English writer and theologian. 2. Anna Seward (1742-1809), an English romantic poet and literary critic. 3. William H. Seward (1801-1872), an American statesman who served as the United States Secretary of State under Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson. 4. George Seward (1809-1890), an English architect and surveyor. 5. George F. Seward (1840-1910), an American lawyer and politician who served as the 20th United States Secretary of State from 1901 to 1905.

While the surname Seward has its roots in medieval England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including North America and other English-speaking countries, carried by individuals of English descent.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Seward families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Seward surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 225 Sewards recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.18x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 225 1.18x
Devon 211 6.32x
Middlesex 202 1.26x
Somerset 128 4.96x
Hampshire 114 3.47x
Berkshire 106 8.80x
Yorkshire 93 0.58x
Gloucestershire 63 2.00x
Dorset 52 4.94x
Surrey 46 0.59x
Huntingdonshire 44 13.81x
Lincolnshire 44 1.71x
Cumberland 35 2.53x
Kent 34 0.62x
Nottinghamshire 33 1.53x
Glamorgan 25 0.89x
Warwickshire 25 0.62x
Essex 24 0.76x
Cambridgeshire 15 1.48x
Worcestershire 15 0.72x
Channel Islands 14 2.94x
Northamptonshire 14 0.93x
Leicestershire 12 0.67x
Monmouthshire 12 1.03x
Sussex 11 0.41x
Bedfordshire 10 1.20x
Oxfordshire 8 0.81x
Staffordshire 8 0.15x
Northumberland 4 0.17x
Hertfordshire 3 0.27x
Kincardineshire 3 1.54x
Derbyshire 2 0.08x
Herefordshire 2 0.30x
Cheshire 1 0.03x
Cornwall 1 0.06x
Durham 1 0.02x
East Lothian 1 0.47x
Lanarkshire 1 0.02x
Midlothian 1 0.05x
Shropshire 1 0.07x
Westmorland 1 0.28x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dunsford in Devon leads with 35 Sewards recorded in 1881 and an index of 819.67x.

Place Total Index
Dunsford 35 819.67x
Kingsclere 32 213.05x
Chardstock 30 411.52x
Kensington London 29 3.25x
Reading St Mary 26 26.95x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 25 8.44x
Dalton In Furness 25 34.01x
Exeter St Thomas The 25 73.42x
Godmanchester 22 182.57x
Thatcham 21 113.15x
Cheltenham 20 8.24x
Lancaster 20 17.65x
Aston 19 1.71x
Buriton 18 284.36x
Leighton 18 983.61x
Shoreditch London 18 2.59x
Petersfield 17 187.85x
Hammersmith London 16 4.05x
Liverpool 16 1.38x
West Ham 16 2.29x
Yeovil 15 28.58x
Axminster 14 89.40x
Chatteris 14 53.99x
Holy Trinity 14 3.66x
Ulverston 14 25.24x
Melcombe Regis 13 29.78x
Preston 13 2.55x
St Marylebone London 13 1.52x
Whitestone 13 513.83x
Burton In Lonsdale 12 348.84x
Egham 12 25.00x
Newbury 12 31.10x
Nottingham St Mary 12 2.15x
St Helier 12 7.75x
Williton 12 138.73x
Barrow In Furness 11 4.25x
Lambeth 11 0.79x
Millom 11 25.98x
Poplar London 11 3.63x
Arlecdon 10 27.22x
Cromwell 10 1176.47x
Cudworth 10 1298.70x
Great Grimsby 10 6.14x
Hampstead London 10 4.00x
Blackburn 9 1.78x
Bristol St George 9 6.18x
Cardiff St John 9 9.86x
Chiswick 9 10.26x
Ilminster 9 49.89x
Langford 9 131.77x
St Benet Pauls Wharf 9 1764.71x
St Pancras London 9 0.70x
Toxteth Park 9 1.40x
Aldingham 8 125.79x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 8 5.40x
Bridford 8 334.73x
Bridgewater 8 11.41x
Camberwell 8 0.78x
Chorley 8 7.49x
Epperstone 8 334.73x
Frome 8 12.95x
Ingleton 8 89.39x
Kingstone 8 640.00x
Oldham 8 1.30x
Portsea 8 1.24x
Reading St Giles 8 6.77x
Reading St Lawrence 8 31.04x
Sculcoates 8 3.17x
Spaxton 8 159.05x
Topsham 8 50.76x
Whittington 8 421.05x
Colebrooke 7 179.95x
Deptford St Paul 7 1.66x
Ealing 7 4.88x
Hendon 7 12.12x
Lewisham 7 2.40x
Lower Upper Holker 7 269.23x
Ottery St Mary 7 31.95x
Southampton St Mary 7 3.38x
Tedburn St Mary 7 198.86x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Seward surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 112
Sarah 58
Elizabeth 52
Ann 31
Ellen 30
Alice 29
Annie 24
Jane 23
Emma 21
Eliza 18
Emily 17
Edith 14
Hannah 14
Kate 14
Louisa 14
Margaret 14
Martha 14
Ada 12
Charlotte 12
Florence 12
Harriet 12
Maria 12
Fanny 11
Caroline 10
Clara 10
Amelia 8
Frances 8
Isabella 7
Lucy 7
Sophia 7
Susan 7
Matilda 6
Anna 5
Bessie 5
Catherine 5
Elizth. 5
Rosa 5
Rose 5
Agnes 4
Anne 4
Ethel 4
Gertrude 4
Harriett 4
Helen 4
Maud 4
Minnie 4
Selina 4
Laura 3
Lilian 3
Marian 3

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Seward surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 114
John 104
Thomas 48
George 46
James 42
Charles 33
Henry 30
Arthur 23
Robert 23
Edward 20
Joseph 16
Alfred 15
Albert 14
Frederick 14
Richard 14
Walter 14
Francis 12
Samuel 12
Frank 11
Fred 11
Ernest 7
Harry 7
David 6
Edwin 6
Abraham 5
Wm. 5
Harold 4
Herbert 4
Louis 4
Percy 4
Tom 4
Edgar 3
Willm. 3
Benjamin 2
Bertie 2
Daniel 2
Eli 2
Henery 2
Hugh 2
Jno. 2
Leonard 2
Lewis 2
Nicholas 2
Reginald 2
Robt. 2
Sidney 2
Sydney 2
Thos. 2
Elizabeth 1
Enes 1

FAQ

Seward surname: questions and answers

How common was the Seward surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,635 people were recorded with the Seward surname. That placed it at #2,618 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Seward surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,896 in 2016. That gives Seward a modern rank of #3,354.

What does the Seward surname mean?

Derived from an Old English place name meaning "salty spring" or "sour spring," referring to a person who lived near one.

What does the Seward map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Seward bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.