NameCensus.

UK surname

Sweenie

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic word "suain" meaning sleep or slumber.

In the 1881 census there were 261 people recorded with the Sweenie surname, ranking it #10,752 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 173, ranked #21,561, down from #10,752 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to New Monkland, Govan Combination and Bonhill. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Paisley West, West Neilston and Uplawmoor and Paisley South East.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sweenie is 261 in 1881. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 33.7%.

1881 census count

261

Ranked #10,752

Modern count

173

2016, ranked #21,561

Peak year

1881

261 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sweenie had 261 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,752 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 173 in 2016, ranked #21,561.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 261 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Sweenie surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sweenie surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sweenie 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 212 #9,965
1861 historical 239 #10,273
1881 historical 261 #10,752
1891 historical 181 #16,065
1901 historical 182 #16,057
1911 historical 7 #33,083
1997 modern 157 #20,513
1998 modern 161 #20,754
1999 modern 158 #21,102
2000 modern 155 #21,341
2001 modern 161 #20,543
2002 modern 166 #20,532
2003 modern 160 #20,789
2004 modern 159 #21,007
2005 modern 160 #20,899
2006 modern 159 #21,148
2007 modern 170 #20,471
2008 modern 166 #20,966
2009 modern 165 #21,552
2010 modern 175 #21,186
2011 modern 168 #21,563
2012 modern 163 #21,989
2013 modern 164 #22,236
2014 modern 172 #21,731
2015 modern 174 #21,449
2016 modern 173 #21,561

Geography

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Where Sweenies are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around New Monkland, Govan Combination, Bonhill, Greenock and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Paisley West, West Neilston and Uplawmoor, Paisley South East, Paisley South and Paisley North West. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 New Monkland Lanark
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Bonhill Dunbarton
4 Greenock Renfrew
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Paisley West Renfrewshire
2 West Neilston and Uplawmoor East Renfrewshire
3 Paisley South East Renfrewshire
4 Paisley South Renfrewshire
5 Paisley North West Renfrewshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sweenie

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sweenie

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Sweenie, 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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Sweenie surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Sweenie household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Sweenie is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Sweenie is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

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

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Sweenie falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Sweenie is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Sweenie

The surname "SWEENIE" is believed to have originated in Scotland during the late medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name derived from the lands of Sweenie in Aberdeenshire. The name likely stems from the Gaelic words "suain" meaning "sleep" and "innis" meaning "island or meadow," suggesting it may have referred to a peaceful resting place.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1456, which mentions a John Sweny. The name appears with various spellings in early records, such as Sweny, Sueny, and Sueynie. It is believed that the modern spelling of "SWEENIE" became more standardized in the 17th century.

During the 16th century, the Sweenie family held lands in Aberdeenshire, and the name is associated with the nearby village of Newburgh. A notable figure from this era was Alexander Sweenie, who served as the Provost of Newburgh in the late 1500s.

In the 17th century, the Sweenie surname spread beyond Scotland, with bearers of the name appearing in Ireland and England. One notable figure from this period was Sir Robert Sweenie, an Irish landowner and member of the Irish Parliament, who lived from 1620 to 1685.

In the 18th century, the Sweenie name continued to be prominent in Scotland, particularly in Aberdeenshire and the surrounding areas. A notable figure was John Sweenie, a Scottish philosopher and educator who lived from 1734 to 1799.

In the 19th century, the Sweenie surname began to appear more frequently in other parts of the world due to Scottish emigration. One notable bearer of the name was Thomas Sweenie, an Australian explorer and surveyor who lived from 1809 to 1876.

Another prominent figure with the surname Sweenie was James Sweenie, an American businessman and industrialist who lived from 1856 to 1923. He founded the Sweenie Manufacturing Company, which produced various industrial products.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sweenie families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sweenie 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. Lanarkshire leads with 73 Sweenies recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.87x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 73 8.87x
Renfrewshire 70 35.48x
Dunbartonshire 63 92.08x
Midlothian 18 5.28x
Stirlingshire 11 11.71x
West Lothian 10 26.08x
Buteshire 5 32.40x
Angus 2 0.85x
Ayrshire 2 1.05x
Surrey 2 0.16x
Yorkshire 2 0.08x
Fife 1 0.66x
Lancashire 1 0.03x
Roxburghshire 1 2.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Abbey in Renfrewshire leads with 25 Sweenies recorded in 1881 and an index of 83.03x.

Place Total Index
Abbey 25 83.03x
Old Kilpatrick 17 210.40x
Bonhill 15 136.61x
Old Monkland 15 45.90x
Dumbarton 14 147.06x
Barony 13 6.24x
Govan 13 6.38x
Cardross 11 133.98x
St Ninians 11 118.15x
Bathgate 10 120.19x
Lasswade 9 115.38x
Paisley High Church 9 57.29x
Inverkip 8 172.04x
Paisley Middle Church 8 69.63x
West Greenock 8 22.59x
Maryhill 7 43.42x
Paisley Low Church 7 112.00x
Ratho 7 440.25x
East Kilbride 6 169.97x
Bothwell 5 22.39x
Glasgow 5 3.42x
Kirkintilloch 5 53.82x
New Monkland 5 20.54x
Rothesay 4 53.55x
Bermondsey 2 2.64x
Carnwath 2 39.29x
Port Glasgow 2 20.96x
Saddleworth 2 10.28x
Bute North 1 96.15x
Cambusnethan 1 5.47x
Cupar 1 15.27x
Dundee 1 1.14x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 0.73x
Edinburgh Trinity 1 90.91x
Irvine 1 18.90x
Kelso 1 21.74x
Kilmarnock 1 4.41x
Liff Benvie 1 2.79x
Liverpool 1 0.55x
Mearns 1 28.90x
Middle Greenock 1 18.59x
Neilston 1 10.10x
New Kilpatrick 1 15.36x
Shettleston 1 13.57x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Norah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 1
Michael 1
Patrick 1
Timothy 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Sweenie households.

Occupation Count
Iron Dresser 1

FAQ

Sweenie surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sweenie surname in 1881?

In 1881, 261 people were recorded with the Sweenie surname. That placed it at #10,752 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sweenie surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 173 in 2016. That gives Sweenie a modern rank of #21,561.

What does the Sweenie surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic word "suain" meaning sleep or slumber.

What does the Sweenie map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Sweenie 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.