Swannie
Diminutive of Swan, derived from the English word for the graceful water bird.
Name Census estimates that about 16 living Americans carry the first name Swannie. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Swannie today is around 77 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Swannie births was 1934 (12 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Swannie. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Swannie is about 77 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Swannies were born before 1959.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Swannie. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
16
~ 1 in 21,422,146 Americans
Peak year
1934
12 babies that year
Average age
77
years old
1963 SSA rank
#7,515
Tracked since 1896
Popularity
Swannie: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Swannie from the 1890s through to the 1960s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 55 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1910s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Swannie by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Swannie during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Swannies live
Origin
Meaning and history of Swannie
The name Swannie has its origins in the Old English language, derived from the word "swan," which refers to the graceful waterfowl. It is believed to have emerged as a name during the Anglo-Saxon period, between the 5th and 11th centuries AD, in what is now England.
The name Swannie was likely influenced by the reverence and symbolism associated with swans in ancient Germanic cultures. Swans were often associated with beauty, grace, and purity, making the name a fitting choice for newborn children.
One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name Swannie was Swannie the Scribe, a monk who lived in the 9th century AD and was known for his exceptional calligraphy skills. His works were highly regarded and preserved in various monastic libraries.
In the Middle Ages, the name Swannie gained popularity among the nobility and aristocracy in England. One notable figure was Swannie de Warenne, a noblewoman who lived during the reign of King Edward I (1272-1307). She was known for her influential role in court politics and her philanthropic endeavors.
During the Renaissance period, the name Swannie was further popularized through literature and poetry. William Shakespeare's play "Hamlet" features a character named Swannie, who is described as a beautiful and virtuous woman.
Another notable bearer of the name was Swannie Boleyn, a cousin of Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII. Swannie Boleyn was a prominent figure at the Tudor court and was known for her intelligence and wit.
In the 19th century, Swannie Nightingale, a British social reformer and the founder of modern nursing, bore the name. She was born in 1820 and was instrumental in improving healthcare standards and establishing the nursing profession.
The name Swannie has also been associated with various artists and writers throughout history. Swannie Austen, a distant relative of the renowned novelist Jane Austen, was a celebrated painter in the late 18th century, known for her exquisite portraits.
While the name Swannie is not as common in modern times, it still holds a sense of elegance and grace, reflecting its rich historical roots and associations with beauty and purity.
People
Swannie + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Swannie as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Swannie: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Swannie?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 16 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Swannie going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 21,422,146 US residents.
Is Swannie a common name?
We classify Swannie as "Very Rare". It ranks above 36.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 170 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Swannie most popular?
The single biggest year for Swannie was 1934, when 12 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Swannie is about 77 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Swannie in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Swannie a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Swannie in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Swannie still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Swannie in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Swannie can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Swannie?
See how many people share the name Swannie on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.