Swindell
A name of English origin, derived from the place name Swindell.
Name Census estimates that about 4 living Americans carry the first name Swindell. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Swindell today is around 80 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Swindell births was 1954 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Swindell. 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 Swindell is about 80 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Swindells were born before 1956.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Swindell. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
4
~ 1 in 85,688,585 Americans
Peak year
1954
6 babies that year
Average age
80
years old
1954 SSA rank
#3,779
Tracked since 1954
Popularity
Swindell: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Swindell 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 Swindell during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Swindell
The name Swindell is believed to have originated from the Old English word "swindle," which means "to cheat or deceive." This name likely first emerged in England during the Anglo-Saxon period, sometime between the 5th and 11th centuries.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Swindell can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings and wealth commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This suggests that the name had already been in use by the late 11th century.
The name Swindell may have initially been used as a descriptive surname or nickname, referring to someone who was perceived as a trickster or con artist. Over time, it evolved into a given name in its own right.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Swindell was Sir John Swindell, a 14th-century English knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War against France. He was born around 1320 and died in 1379.
Another notable figure was Thomas Swindell, an English theologian and scholar who lived from 1556 to 1624. He was a prominent figure in the English Reformation and served as the Dean of Divinity at the University of Oxford.
In the 18th century, there was a famous British painter named William Swindell, who was born in 1743 and died in 1809. He was known for his portraits and landscapes, and his works can be found in several prestigious art collections.
A more recent historical figure with the name Swindell was Charles Swindell, an American politician and lawyer who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Texas. He was born in 1887 and died in 1962.
Another notable individual was Sir Walter Swindell, a British engineer and industrialist who lived from 1885 to 1971. He was a pioneer in the development of modern aviation and played a crucial role in the design and production of aircraft during World War II.
While the name Swindell may have started with a less-than-desirable connotation, over time it has shed its negative associations and become a respected and established name in various cultures and regions.
People
Swindell + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Swindell 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
Swindell: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Swindell?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 4 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Swindell 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 85,688,585 US residents.
Is Swindell a common name?
We classify Swindell as "Very Rare". It ranks above 6.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Swindell most popular?
The single biggest year for Swindell was 1954, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Swindell is about 80 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 Swindell in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Swindell a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Swindell in the SSA data are male. 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 Swindell still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Swindell 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 Swindell 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 common is the name Swindell?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.