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

Swallow, 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 Swallow surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Swallow in America

Swallow is the 11003rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Swallow surname appeared 2,891 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Swallow.

We can also compare 2010 data for Swallow 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 Swallow

The surname Swallow is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "swalewe," which referred to the small migratory bird of the same name. The name likely originated as a nickname or descriptive term for someone who resembled the bird in some way, perhaps due to their swift movements or slender build.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Swallow can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Sualuua." This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 11th century in England.

During the Middle Ages, the surname Swallow was particularly prevalent in the counties of Cambridgeshire, Oxfordshire, and Yorkshire. Several places in England, such as Swallow in Lincolnshire and Swallowfield in Berkshire, may have derived their names from individuals bearing the Swallow surname or vice versa.

Notable individuals with the surname Swallow include Sir Roger Swallow (c. 1330-1389), a distinguished military commander who served under Edward III during the Hundred Years' War. Another prominent figure was John Swallow (1515-1591), a Protestant reformer and Bishop of Carlisle during the reign of Elizabeth I.

In the 17th century, William Swallow (1624-1679) was a influential English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Drapers' Hall and the Church of St. Mary-at-Hill.

During the 18th century, the English poet and essayist Ambrose Swallow (1735-1809) gained recognition for his poetic works and his contributions to various literary periodicals of the time.

In more recent history, Sir John Swallow (1873-1949) was a British businessman and politician who served as a Member of Parliament and was knighted for his services to industry and commerce.

Throughout its history, the surname Swallow has been associated with various occupations and professions, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of those who bore the name. Its origins as a descriptive nickname and its enduring presence in England over centuries attest to its rich heritage and significance within English onomastics.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Swallow

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

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 Swallow 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 Swallow 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 Swallow was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!