2010
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Swalla
A surname derived from a Scottish Gaelic word for a pilgrim or wanderer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 109 Americans carry the last name Swalla. That puts it at #156,592 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,144,535 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Swalla surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
109
1 in 3,144,535
Census rank
#156,592
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
95
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 95 bearers of the surname Swalla in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156592nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Swalla, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Swalla
The surname "SWALLA" is believed to have originated from a small village in the Piedmont region of northern Italy during the late 12th century. It is derived from the old Italian word "svallare," which means "to unload" or "to unpack," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this name may have been involved in trade or transportation-related professions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "SWALLA" can be found in a medieval census document from the town of Asti, dated 1238. This document lists a certain "Gianni Swalla" as a resident of the town's merchant quarter.
In the 14th century, the name appears in several municipal records from the city of Turin, where a family of Swallas is mentioned as prominent landowners and traders. One notable member of this family was Pietro Swalla (1328-1401), a wealthy merchant who served as a city councilor and was involved in the construction of several churches and public buildings.
During the Renaissance period, the Swalla name gained further recognition with the birth of the renowned artist and architect, Francesco Swalla (1450-1524). Born in the town of Vercelli, Swalla's works can be found in various churches and palaces throughout northern Italy, including the famous frescoes in the Basilica of San Gaudenzio in Novara.
The name also appears in various historical documents from other parts of Europe, suggesting that members of the Swalla family may have migrated or established branches in other regions. For instance, a record from the city of Strasbourg in France mentions a "Hans Swalla" as a master baker in the late 15th century.
In the 17th century, the Swalla name is associated with a prominent family of scholars and intellectuals from the Republic of Venice. One notable figure was Alessandro Swalla (1619-1687), a renowned philosopher and theologian who authored several influential works on ethics and metaphysics.
As the centuries passed, the Swalla name continued to be carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, merchants, and academics. However, the name remains relatively uncommon, particularly outside of its original Italian roots.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Swalla
Among Census respondents with the surname Swalla, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Swalla bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Swalla surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.7% · 90
- Two or more races4.2% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Swalla
Swalla appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#156,592
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 95
-14 bearers (-12.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 6,140 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #156,592 | 95 | 0.03 | -14 bearers (-12.8%) | Down 6,140 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Swalla surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #150,452 | #156,592 | -4.1% |
| Count | 109 | 95 | -12.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -20.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Swalla bearers went from 109 to 95 (-12.8% change). The surname moved down 6,140 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #156,592.
FAQ
Swalla surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Swalla?
Name Census estimates that about 109 living Americans carry the surname Swalla. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,144,535 residents.
How common is Swalla?
Swalla ranks #156,592 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 95 people with the surname Swalla. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (109), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Swalla.
Has Swalla become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Swalla went from 109 recorded bearers to 95. That is a decrease of 14 (-12.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #150,452 to #156,592.
What does the Census say about the background of Swalla?
Among Census respondents with the surname Swalla, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Swalla in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.7% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Swalla appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.7%), Two or More Races (4.2%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Swalla (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Swalla mean?
A surname derived from a Scottish Gaelic word for a pilgrim or wanderer. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Swalla (0.03 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Swalla?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.