Sweeney (name)
Sweeney is a surname that is in most cases, of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic Mac Suibhne meaning "son of Suibhne".[1] The Gaelic personal name, Suibhne, was originally a byname meaning "pleasant" or "well-disposed".[2] The Gaelic personal name was also used an equivalent to the unrelated Old Norse personal name Sveinn, meaning "boy", "servant".[1]
In the United States, the surname Sweeney can also be an Americanization of the French surname Choinière. This French surname is derived from choin, meaning white, and probably originated as an occupational name for a baker.[3]
People with the surname Sweeney
- Alison Sweeney, (born 1976), American, television actress.
- Anne Sweeney, (born 1957), Co-Chair of Disney Media Networks and President of Disney-ABC Television Group.
- Antony Sweeney, (born 1983), English, professional footballer.
- several people, Bill Sweeney
- Bill Sweeney (CEO), American politician
- Bill Sweeney (first baseman), (1904–1957), professional baseball player.
- Bill Sweeney (ice hockey) (born 1937), Canadian, professional ice hockey player.
- Bill Sweeney (infielder), (1886–1948), American, professional baseball player.
- Bill Sweeney (pitcher), (died 1903), professional baseball player.
- several people, Bob Sweeney
- Brian Sweeney, (born 1974), professional baseball player.
- Brody Sweeney, Irish, entrepreneur.
- Bruce Sweeney, Canadian, film director.
- Calvin Sweeney, (born 1955), American, professional (American) football player.
- Cate Sweeney, English author and playwright
- Ceri Sweeney, Welsh, rugby player.
- Charles Sweeney, (1919–2004), American, USAAF pilot who dropped the atomic bomb "Fat Man" on Nagasaki.
- Charlie Sweeney, (1863–1902), professional baseball player.
- Ciaran Sweeney, Irish designer.
- Claire Sweeney, (born 1971), English, actress and singer.
- Craig Sweeney, (born 1982), Welsh, child sex offender.
- D. B. Sweeney, (born 1961), American, actor.
- Daisy Sweeney, (born 1920), Canadian, music teacher.
- Dennis Sweeney, protestor and civil rights activist.
- Don Sweeney, (born 1966), Canadian, professional ice hockey player.
- Ed Sweeney, (1888–1947), professional baseball player.
- Eric Sweeney, (1903–1968)), English footballer.
- Fionnuala Sweeney - an Irish anchorwoman and reporter for CNN International
- Francis E. Sweeney, American, politician.
- George Sweeney (actor), British actor.
- Hank Sweeney, (1915–1980), American, professional baseball player.
- several people, James Sweeney
- Jamie Sweeney, British, actor.
- several people, Jim Sweeney
- Joel Sweeney, (1810–1860), American, musician.
- several people, John Sweeney
- Joseph Sweeney (Irish politician), (1897–1980), Irish, politician.
- Joseph Sweeney (actor), (1884–1963), American, actor.
- Julia Sweeney - an American actress and comedian
- Justin Sweeney, (born 1987), Australian rules footballer.
- several people, Kevin Sweeney
- Kyle Sweeney, (born 1981), American, professional lacrosse player.
- Larry Sweeney, (born 1981), American, professional wrestler.
- Madeline Amy Sweeney, a flight attendant on board American Airlines flight 11
- Mark Sweeney, (born 1969), professional baseball player.
- Martin L. Sweeney, (1885–1960), American, politician.
- Mary Sweeney, American, film editor and film producer.
- Matt Sweeney, musician.
- Michelle Sweeney, Canadian, actor and musician.
- several people, Mike Sweeney
- Mike Sweeney (DJ), (born 1947), radio DJ.
- Mike Sweeney (musician), American, musician.
- Mike Sweeney (soccer), (born 1959), Canadian, soccer player.
- Mike Sweeney, (born 1973), American, professional baseball player.
- Monroe Sweeney, (1892–1950), American baseball umpire
- Neil Sweeney, (born 1977), Australian, professional rugby player.
- Nigel Sweeney, barrister in the UK.
- several people, Patrick Sweeney
- Peter Sweeney, (born 1984), Scottish, professional footballer.
- Peter Sweeney (soccer), Early twenieth century Scottish-U.S. professional footballer.
- Randy Sweeney, (born 1956), American, research scientist.
- Richard Joseph Mc Sweeney (Risteárd Seosamh Mac Suibhne) (born 1955), Irish, on the 13th May 2011 officially announced his candidacy for the 2011 Irish Presidential Election.
- several people, Robert Sweeney
- Ryan Sweeney, (born 1985), American, professional baseball player.
- Shelley Sweeney, (born 1966), Canadian, actress.
- Stephen M. Sweeney, (born 1959), American, politician.
- Steve Sweeney, American, comedian.
- Sylvia Sweeney, (born 1956), Canadian, journalist, television producer and Olympic athlete.
- Terry Sweeney, (born 1969), American, writer, comedian and actor.
- several people, Tim Sweeney
- Walt Sweeney, (born 1941), American, professional American football player.
- Walter Sweeney, (born 1949), British, politician.
- Walter C. Sweeney, Jr., (born 1909), United States Air Force general
- several people, William Sweeney
People with the given name Sweeney
Fictional people named Sweeney
- Sweeney, the violent, ape-like antihero of several poems by T. S. Eliot, including The Waste Land
- Moira/Max Sweeney, fictional character on the Showtime television network series The L Word.
- Sweeney Todd, fictional barber and serial killer
- Sinbad Sweeney, fictional character in the Channel 4 soap opera Brookside.
- Mr. Sweeney, fictional character in Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide.
- The Sweeney Sisters, a recurring musical sketch from 1980's era, Saturday Night Live featuring Candy Sweeney (Jan Hooks) and her sister Liz (Nora Dunn)
- Lieutenant Sweeney, fictional character in Dead Men Walking (film)
- Sweeney, the main character in the Irish legend seen in Sweeney Astray
Notes
- ^ a b "Learn about the family history of your surname", Ancestry.com, http://www.ancestry.com/learn/facts/default.aspx?, retrieved 29 September 2011 . For the surnames McQueen, Swain, Sweeney, this website cited: Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4 .
- ^ Surname search Retrieved on 2007-11-29
- ^ "Learn about the family history of your surname", Ancestry.com, http://www.ancestry.com/learn/facts/default.aspx?, retrieved 29 September 2011 . For the surnames Choiniere and Sweeney, this website cited: Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4 .
See also