2000
#10,062
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,954
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.10
Rare Last name
Swallow
An English occupational surname referring to a person who hunted birds, particularly swallows, for a living.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,108 Americans carry the last name Swallow. That puts it at #11,168 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.91 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 110,281 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Swallow 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Swallow with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.1K
1 in 110,281
Census rank
#11,168
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,710 bearers of the surname Swallow in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.91 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11168th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Swallow, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.8%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (6.1%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Swallow
Among Census respondents with the surname Swallow, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.8%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (6.1%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Swallow 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 Swallow surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.8% · 2,298
- American Indian and Alaska Native6.1% · 165
- Two or more races3.9% · 106
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 103
- Black or African American0.7% · 20
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Swallow
Swallow appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#11,003
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,891
-63 bearers (-2.1%)
Per 100,000 0.98
Rank movement Down 941 places
2020
#11,168
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,710
-181 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.91
Rank movement Down 165 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,062 | 2,954 | 1.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,003 | 2,891 | 0.98 | -63 bearers (-2.1%) | Down 941 places |
| 2020 | #11,168 | 2,710 | 0.91 | -181 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 165 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 Swallow 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 | #11,003 | #11,168 | -1.5% |
| Count | 2,891 | 2,710 | -6.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.98 | 0.91 | -7.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Swallow bearers went from 2,891 to 2,710 (-6.3% change). The surname moved down 165 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,003 to #11,168.
FAQ
Swallow surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Swallow?
Name Census estimates that about 3,108 living Americans carry the surname Swallow. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 110,281 residents.
How common is Swallow?
Swallow ranks #11,168 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.91 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,710 people with the surname Swallow. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,108), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.91 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.91 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Swallow.
Has Swallow become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Swallow went from 2,891 recorded bearers to 2,710. That is a decrease of 181 (-6.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,003 to #11,168.
What does the Census say about the background of Swallow?
Among Census respondents with the surname Swallow, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.8%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (6.1%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Swallow in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.8% (2,298 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Swallow appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.8%), American Indian/Alaska Native (6.1%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Swallow (2000, 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 Swallow mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a person who hunted birds, particularly swallows, for a living. 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 Swallow (0.91 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 are called Swallow?
You can see how many people have the last name Swallow on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.