Seth
Usually a biblical surname from the Hebrew name meaning “appointed” or “set in place.”
The #9,701 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 92,328 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is generally taken from the biblical personal name Seth, the third son of Adam and Eve. In Hebrew, the name is commonly explained as meaning “appointed,” “set,” or “substituted,” reflecting the idea that he was given in place of another child. Some older dictionaries also paraphrase it as “set as a foundation,” but the core sense is the same: one who is appointed or established.
History
Seth has long been used as a given name in Christian communities because of its biblical associations, and the surname likely arose from that name. In English-speaking countries it is found chiefly as a surname formed from an ancestor’s personal name rather than from a place or occupation. The form is relatively uncommon as a family name, but the given name has been widely familiar for centuries.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same biblical name has also helped make Seth a familiar first name in English, so some bearers of the surname may come from lines where the same form was used both as a given name and a family name.
From the historical record
“SETCHELL, a var. of Satohell, q.v. SETH (Heb.) Appointed [Heb. SUtK\ SETON (Fr. -f E.) Bel. to Seton or Seaton (Haddington), A.b. 1296 Seytone = (de) ' Sey's Ville [see the note under, Seaton] SETTER (Eng.) Setter (app. of arrowheads) [M.E. settere ; f. O.E. settan, to set]”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)