Sweeney surname meaning

Sweeney is chiefly an Irish and Scottish surname anglicized from Mac Suibhne, “son of Suibhne.” Suibhne is a Gaelic personal name traditionally glossed “pleasant” or “well disposed,” but that meaning belongs to the given name. The Mac Suibhne kindred had Scottish Highland roots and became established in Donegal, so the surname can reflect different migration histories. McSweeney and Mac Suibhne are useful restored or expanded forms. Some American Sweeney lines may represent unrelated substitutions, including French names, so the catalog uses parent’s name with likely rather than high confidence.