| ![Show Contents]() Sweetlyn History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
England
Etymology of SweetlynWhat does the name Sweetlyn mean? Sweetlyn is a name of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin and comes from the family once having lived in the area that was referred to as Sweetland found in the county of Devon. The surname Sweetlyn 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. As a general rule, the greater the distance between an individual and their homeland, the larger the territory they were named after. For example, a person who only moved to another parish would be known by the name of their original village, while people who migrated to a different country were often known by the name of a region or country from which they came. Early Origins of the Sweetlyn familyThe surname Sweetlyn was first found in Devon where from ancient times they held Sweetland's Farm, a name which would later become a surname and a place name in Devon. 1 Another source presumes that the name could have been from Swithland, a parish, in the union of Barrow-upon-Soar, hundred of West Goscote,in Leicestershire. 2 Early History of the Sweetlyn familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sweetlyn research. Another 51 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Sweetlyn History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Sweetlyn Spelling VariationsSound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Sweetlyn family name include Sweetland, Swithland and others. Early Notables of the Sweetlyn familyMore information is included under the topic Early Sweetlyn Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Sweetlyn familyFor political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Sweetlyn surname or a spelling variation of the name include: H.B. Sweetland and his wife Mrs. J. Sweetland arrived in San Francisco Cal. in 1852. In Newfoundland, Henry Sweetland settled in St. John's in 1787; William in English Harbour in 1790.
- Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
- Charnock, Richard, Stephen, Ludus Patronymicus of The Etymology of Curious Surnames. London: Trubner & Co., 60 Paternoster Row, 1868. Print.
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