An Irish surname, also famously associated with the fictional character Sweeney Todd, the demon barber.
From Irish Gaelic 'Mac Suibhne' meaning 'son of Suibhne', where Suibhne derives from 'suibnech' meaning 'pleasant' or 'well-going'. The name traveled from Ireland to become common in English-speaking countries.
While the original Irish meaning suggests pleasantness, the name became darkly famous through Sweeney Todd, Stephen Sondheim's murderous barber who made meat pies from his victims. It's ironic how a name meaning 'pleasant' became synonymous with Gothic horror!
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