Sedgwick

Sedgwick is a surname of English origin and a place name used in several English-speaking countries. The surname derives from places named Sedgwick in northern England and is thought to originate from Old English elements meaning sedge, a marsh plant, and wic, a dwelling or farmstead. As a toponym, the name is attached to geographic locations as well as institutions and administrative areas.

Places named Sedgwick include Sedgwick, Cumbria, a village near Kendal in north‑west England; Sedgwick, Maine, a town on the Penobscot Bay in Hancock County; and Sedgwick County, Kansas, whose seat is Wichita and which was named in honor of Union general John Sedgwick. The Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences in Cambridge, England, is named for Adam Sedgwick, a 19th‑century geologist who helped establish modern geology.

Notable people bearing the surname include Adam Sedgwick (1785–1873), a British geologist; John Sedgwick (1825–1864), a Union Army general during the American Civil War; Edie Sedgwick (1943–1971), American actress and Warhol superstar; and Kyra Sedgwick (born 1965), American actress and producer.

Sedgwick remains in contemporary use in both onomastic and geographic contexts, reflecting its historical roots as a place name and family name.