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

Swalm, 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 Swalm surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Swalm in America

Swalm is the 102688th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Swalm surname appeared 175 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 Swalm.

We can also compare 2010 data for Swalm 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 Swalm

The surname Swalm has its origins in the Low German language, with roots dating back to the medieval period in northern Germany and the Netherlands. It is believed to have derived from the Old Saxon word "swalm," which translates to "smoke" or "vapor," possibly referring to an occupation or location associated with smoke or haze.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Swalm name can be found in the Bremisches Urkundenbuch, a collection of historical documents from the city of Bremen, Germany, dating back to the 13th century. The name appears as "Swalme" and is mentioned in connection with a landowner or farmer in the region.

During the 14th century, variations of the name, such as "Swalmen" and "Swalmers," were documented in various records from the Dutch provinces of Gelderland and Limburg, indicating a spread of the name across the border between Germany and the Low Countries.

A notable figure bearing the Swalm surname was Johann Swalm, a German theologian and philosopher who lived from 1549 to 1616. He was a prominent scholar and author, known for his works on ethics and moral philosophy.

In the 17th century, the Swalm name appeared in several parish records and land registers in the German state of Lower Saxony, particularly in the regions around Hannover and Lüneburg. One notable entry is that of Hans Swalm, a farmer and landowner mentioned in the Kirchenbücher (church records) of Lüneburg in 1678.

The 18th century saw the Swalm name spread further across Europe, with records indicating families with this surname residing in areas such as the German Rhineland and the Austrian Empire. One notable individual was Maria Swalm, a renowned operatic soprano who performed in various theaters across Europe in the late 1700s.

As people migrated from Europe to the New World, the Swalm name was carried to the Americas. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Johann Swalm, who arrived in Pennsylvania from Germany in 1749, settling in the area that would become known as the Pennsylvania Dutch Country.

Throughout the 19th century, individuals with the Swalm surname continued to make their mark in various fields. For example, William Swalm, born in 1837 in Canada, was a prominent figure in the Quaker community and served as a missionary and educator in several countries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Swalm

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

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

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

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