Find out how popular the last name Swaffield is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Swaffield.

Swaffield, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Swaffield surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Swaffield in America

Swaffield is the 117480th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Swaffield surname appeared 148 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Swaffield.

We can also compare 2010 data for Swaffield to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Swaffield

The surname Swaffield is of English origin, derived from a place name referring to a field or clearing in a forest or wooded area. It is believed to have originated in the county of Leicestershire, where it was first recorded in the late 12th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Swaffield can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Leicestershire from 1195, where a John de Swavfeld is mentioned. The spelling of the name varied over time, with other early forms including Swavfeld, Swaufeld, and Swayfeld.

The name Swaffield is thought to be derived from the Old English words "swæf" meaning "forest" or "wooded area" and "feld" meaning "field" or "clearing." This suggests that the surname may have originally referred to someone who lived or worked in a clearing within a forested region.

During the medieval period, the Swaffield family was primarily based in the Midlands region of England, particularly in Leicestershire and neighboring counties. In the 13th century, records show a Richard de Swaufeld holding lands in Leicestershire, while a John Swayfeld is mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279.

Notable individuals with the surname Swaffield throughout history include:

1. John Swaffield (c. 1530-1590), an English clergyman and author who served as the Archdeacon of Norfolk.

2. Thomas Swaffield (1776-1853), an English architect known for his work on several churches in the Midlands region.

3. William Swaffield (1840-1913), a British engineer and inventor who patented improvements to steam engines and boilers.

4. Edith Swaffield (1868-1948), an English painter and artist who exhibited her works at the Royal Academy and other notable galleries.

5. Sir Henry Swaffield (1879-1962), a British businessman and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Leicester from 1924 to 1945.

While the name Swaffield is not among the most common surnames in England, it has a long and rich history dating back to the medieval period, with its origins rooted in the geography and landscape of the Midlands region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Swaffield

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Swaffield.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Swaffield was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Swaffield has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Swaffield was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Swaffield, please contact us.

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