NameCensus.

UK surname

Sweet

An English occupational surname referring to a confectioner or a nickname for a pleasant or agreeable person.

In the 1881 census there were 2,682 people recorded with the Sweet surname, ranking it #1,656 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,038, ranked #1,682, down from #1,656 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Warwickshire and Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sweet is 4,280 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 50.6%.

1881 census count

2,682

Ranked #1,656

Modern count

4,038

2016, ranked #1,682

Peak year

1999

4,280 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sweet had 2,682 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,656 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,038 in 2016, ranked #1,682.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,856 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Sweet surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sweet surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sweet 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 1,838 #1,570
1861 historical 1,615 #1,762
1881 historical 2,682 #1,656
1891 historical 2,896 #1,629
1901 historical 3,365 #1,655
1911 historical 3,856 #1,346
1997 modern 4,137 #1,566
1998 modern 4,235 #1,588
1999 modern 4,280 #1,581
2000 modern 4,236 #1,586
2001 modern 4,129 #1,592
2002 modern 4,164 #1,620
2003 modern 4,061 #1,625
2004 modern 4,036 #1,633
2005 modern 3,938 #1,651
2006 modern 3,946 #1,652
2007 modern 3,939 #1,673
2008 modern 4,001 #1,659
2009 modern 4,136 #1,642
2010 modern 4,229 #1,635
2011 modern 4,155 #1,649
2012 modern 4,033 #1,664
2013 modern 4,117 #1,664
2014 modern 4,142 #1,663
2015 modern 4,086 #1,668
2016 modern 4,038 #1,682

Geography

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Where Sweets are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and St Philip and Jacob. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Warwickshire and Cornwall. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 St Philip and Jacob Gloucestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Warwickshire 003 North Warwickshire
2 North Warwickshire 002 North Warwickshire
3 Cornwall 039 Cornwall
4 Cornwall 036 Cornwall
5 North Warwickshire 005 North Warwickshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sweet

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sweet

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Sweet, 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 Sweet surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Sweet 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Sweet is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Sweet is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Sweet falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Sweet 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 Sweet, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Sweet

The surname Sweet is of English origin and dates back to the late 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "swete", which means pleasant or agreeable. The name likely referred to someone with a sweet or agreeable disposition.

The earliest recorded use of the surname Sweet can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where it appears as "Swete". Other early spellings include "Swet" and "Suet".

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are references to several place names containing the word "sweet", such as Swetton in Shropshire and Swettenham in Cheshire. These place names may have influenced the development of the surname Sweet in those areas.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Sweet was John Sweet, who was born around 1320 in Gloucestershire, England.

Another notable bearer of the name was Sir William Sweet, a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire in the 15th century.

During the 16th century, the Sweet family established themselves in the county of Norfolk, where they were prominent landowners and gentry. One member of this family was Sir John Sweet, who served as a justice of the peace in Norfolk in the late 1500s.

In the 17th century, the Sweet name can be found in various parts of England, including London and the counties of Berkshire, Dorset, and Somerset. One notable figure from this period was Robert Sweet, a merchant and alderman in the City of London, born in 1620.

In the 18th century, the Sweet family continued to be influential in Norfolk, with several members serving as Members of Parliament and holding positions in the local government. One such individual was Sir Edward Sweet, who was born in 1710 and served as a Member of Parliament for Norfolk.

Throughout history, the Sweet surname has been associated with various professions, including merchants, landowners, politicians, and members of the gentry. While not a particularly common surname, it has been borne by notable individuals across several centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sweet families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sweet 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. Somerset leads with 592 Sweets recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.95x.

County Total Index
Somerset 592 13.95x
Gloucestershire 397 7.68x
Middlesex 309 1.17x
Cornwall 245 8.21x
Devon 182 3.32x
Hampshire 120 2.22x
Surrey 107 0.83x
Glamorgan 105 2.29x
Kent 60 0.67x
Lancashire 59 0.19x
Wiltshire 55 2.36x
Warwickshire 47 0.71x
Staffordshire 41 0.46x
Lanarkshire 36 0.42x
Yorkshire 36 0.14x
Nottinghamshire 32 0.90x
Essex 31 0.60x
Durham 29 0.37x
Monmouthshire 29 1.52x
Northumberland 28 0.71x
Leicestershire 20 0.68x
Cheshire 17 0.29x
Suffolk 17 0.53x
Sussex 16 0.36x
Channel Islands 13 1.66x
Carmarthenshire 11 0.99x
Berkshire 9 0.45x
Pembrokeshire 8 0.96x
Renfrewshire 7 0.34x
Royal Navy 7 2.23x
Ayrshire 6 0.30x
Cambridgeshire 6 0.36x
Dorset 6 0.35x
Hertfordshire 6 0.33x
Buckinghamshire 5 0.31x
Westmorland 2 0.35x
Worcestershire 2 0.06x
Angus 1 0.04x
Argyllshire 1 0.14x
Buteshire 1 0.63x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bristol St George in Gloucestershire leads with 135 Sweets recorded in 1881 and an index of 56.47x.

Place Total Index
Bristol St George 135 56.47x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 115 23.63x
Merriott 104 838.03x
St Pancras London 57 2.69x
Crewkerne 46 102.09x
Plymouth St Andrew 41 9.70x
Portsea 38 3.59x
Islington London 35 1.37x
Bedminster 31 7.78x
Wedmore 30 108.66x
St Austell 29 28.43x
Hackney London 28 1.89x
Castle Cary 25 135.21x
Baddesley Ensor 24 281.69x
Wolverhampton 23 3.36x
Fowey 21 153.40x
Newington 21 2.16x
Lambeth 19 0.83x
Richmond 19 10.56x
Bitton Oldland 18 34.07x
Hammersmith London 18 2.77x
Nottingham St Mary 18 1.96x
St Neot 18 153.06x
Stapleton 18 18.36x
Whippingham 18 44.00x
Ystradyfodwg 18 4.47x
St Teath 17 94.60x
Alverstoke 16 8.18x
Illogan 16 20.25x
Manchester 16 1.14x
Merthyr Tydfil 16 3.63x
Roath 16 7.68x
Sheffield 16 1.92x
Bromley London 15 2.59x
Exeter St Sidwell 15 11.94x
High Ham 15 148.37x
St Gluvias Penryn 15 62.74x
Tiverton 15 15.87x
Bampton 14 83.33x
Bristol St Paul In 14 10.17x
Cullompton 14 58.46x
Kensington London 14 0.96x
Somerton 14 80.83x
St Mewan 14 152.34x
Stoke Newington London 14 6.82x
Tewkesbury 14 30.35x
Yeovil 14 16.24x
Barony 13 0.60x
Ecclesall Bierlow 13 2.45x
Great Torrington 13 41.79x
St Minver 13 143.01x
Battersea 12 1.24x
Bristol St James St Paul 12 6.96x
Burnham 12 37.09x
Fisherton Anger 12 27.81x
Frome 12 11.83x
Glasgow 12 0.79x
Glastonbury 12 34.65x
Lopen 12 376.18x
Mile End Old Town 12 2.88x
St Breock 12 74.44x
Street 12 52.29x
Swansea Town 12 3.19x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 11 3.24x
Paddington London 11 1.14x
Salisbury St Martin 11 45.34x
Tintagel 11 135.47x
Wells St Cuthbert 11 38.00x
West Ham 11 0.96x
Bitton 10 22.23x
Clifton 10 3.83x
Keynsham 10 32.82x
Liverpool 10 0.53x
South Petherton 10 45.64x
Stawley 10 724.64x
Hampstead London 9 2.19x
Martock 9 32.63x
Queen Camel 9 181.09x
Strood 9 17.54x
Westbury On Trym 9 5.14x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 165
Elizabeth 105
Sarah 88
Eliza 49
Jane 47
Ellen 45
Alice 43
Emily 42
Emma 39
Ann 38
Annie 30
Louisa 28
Susan 23
Clara 22
Martha 22
Caroline 20
Hannah 20
Edith 18
Florence 18
Harriet 17
Charlotte 16
Maria 16
Kate 14
Anne 12
Fanny 12
Ada 11
Harriett 11
Laura 11
Ethel 10
Amelia 9
Bessie 9
Rose 9
Catherine 8
Eleanor 8
Elizth. 8
Lucy 8
Matilda 8
Grace 7
Minnie 7
Hester 6
Isabella 6
Julia 6
Margaret 6
Rebecca 6
Rosa 6
Rosina 6
Frances 5
Lavinia 5
Lilly 5
Selina 5

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 166
John 139
George 88
James 72
Thomas 65
Henry 61
Charles 50
Samuel 45
Robert 41
Joseph 38
Alfred 36
Edward 33
Albert 25
Frederick 23
Walter 21
Arthur 20
Frank 15
Harry 15
Richard 15
Francis 14
Isaac 14
Edwin 13
Herbert 13
Wm. 13
Ernest 11
David 8
Fred 7
Sidney 6
Stephen 6
Thos. 6
Daniel 5
Sydney 5
Benjamin 4
Geo. 4
Harold 4
Jno. 4
Robt. 4
Tom 4
Willie 4
Willm. 4
Bartholomew 3
Clifford 3
Fredrick 3
Henery 3
Lewis 3
Oliver 3
Owen 3
Saml. 3
Simon 3
Alexander 2

FAQ

Sweet surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sweet surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,682 people were recorded with the Sweet surname. That placed it at #1,656 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sweet surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,038 in 2016. That gives Sweet a modern rank of #1,682.

What does the Sweet surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a confectioner or a nickname for a pleasant or agreeable person.

What does the Sweet map show?

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