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

Swanepoel, 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 Swanepoel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Swanepoel in America

Swanepoel is the 101247th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Swanepoel surname appeared 178 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 Swanepoel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Swanepoel 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 Swanepoel

The surname Swanepoel is of Dutch origin and dates back to the 17th century. It is believed to have originated in the Netherlands, where it was a locational name derived from the Dutch words "swane" meaning swan and "poel" meaning pool or marsh. This suggests that the name referred to someone who lived near a body of water frequented by swans.

The earliest recorded instances of the Swanepoel surname can be found in Dutch church records from the late 1600s. It was primarily concentrated in the provinces of South Holland and Zeeland, where many of the early bearers of the name lived in small villages or rural areas.

As the Dutch began to establish colonies in southern Africa during the 17th and 18th centuries, some individuals with the Swanepoel surname were among the early settlers. This led to the name being introduced to South Africa, where it remains particularly prevalent today.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Swanepoel surname was Dirk Swanepoel, who was born in the Netherlands around 1660. Historical records indicate that he later emigrated to the Dutch Cape Colony in South Africa.

Another notable bearer of the Swanepoel name was Jacobus Swanepoel, a Dutch farmer who lived in the Cape Colony during the late 18th century. He was known for his extensive landholdings and contributions to the local agricultural community.

In the 19th century, Pieter Swanepoel was a prominent figure in the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (South African Republic), serving as a member of the Volksraad (parliament) and playing a role in the region's political affairs.

During the Second Boer War (1899-1902), Johannes Swanepoel was a commander in the Boer forces fighting against the British. He was known for his bravery and tactical skills on the battlefield.

In more recent times, Johannes Swanepoel (1908-1994) was a respected South African poet and writer, whose works explored themes of Afrikaner culture and identity. His poetry and prose works earned him several literary awards and accolades.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Swanepoel

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

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

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

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