Swettenham History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Swettenham

What does the name Swettenham mean?

Swettenham is a name of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin and comes from a family once having lived in the county of Cheshire, where they held a family seat at Swettenham. The surname Swettenham is a habitation name that was originally derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. The surname originated as a means of identifying individuals from a particular area. In the Middle Ages people often assumed the name of the place that they originally lived as their surname during the course of travel.

Early Origins of the Swettenham family

The surname Swettenham was first found in Cheshire at Swettenham, a small village and civil parish. The place name was originally Suetenham in the late 12th century which literally meant "homestead or enclosure of a man called Sweta." 1

Swettenham Hall is a country house located there dating back to the 17th century. The first Saxon Lord of Swettenham, Peter, had his estates confirmed by King William Rufus.

Early History of the Swettenham family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Swettenham research. Another 63 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1500, 1577, 1602, 1606, 1617, 1618 and 1622 are included under the topic Early Swettenham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Swettenham Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Swettenham has been recorded under many different variations, including Swettenham, Swetenham, Sweetham, Swetnam and others.

Early Notables of the Swettenham family

Distinguished members of the family include Joseph Swetnam (fl. 1617), called the woman-hater, " he kept a fencing school at Bristol. He must be distinguished from his contemporary namesake, Joseph Swetnam, Sweetnam...
Another 32 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Swettenham Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Swettenham migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Swettenham or a variant listed above:

Swettenham Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Constance S. Swettenham, aged 44, who immigrated to America from London, in 1903
Ethel Swettenham, aged 24, who landed in America, in 1920
Rose Swettenham, aged 25, who landed in America, in 1920
Rosie Swettenham, aged 27, who settled in America from Manchester, England, in 1922
Ethel Swettenham, aged 27, who immigrated to the United States from Manchester, England, in 1922
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Swettenham migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Swettenham Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. George Swettenham, (Swetmore) who was convicted in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" on 3rd October 1831, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Swettenham (post 1700) +

Sir "James" Alexander Swettenham KCMG (1846-1933), British colonial administrator, Governor of British Guiana (190-1904) and Governor of Jamaica (1904-1907)
Sir Frank Athelstane Swettenham GCMG, CH (1850-1946), British colonial official, first Resident General of the Federated Malay States

The Swettenham 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: Ex sudore vultus
Motto Translation: By the sweat of the face.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth