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

Swaney, 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 Swaney surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Swaney in America

Swaney is the 7459th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Swaney surname appeared 4,468 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Swaney.

We can also compare 2010 data for Swaney 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 Swaney

The surname SWANEY is of Scottish origin, derived from the Old English word "swan," which refers to the graceful water bird. It is believed to have originated in the regions of Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire, where the name was first recorded in the 12th century.

One of the earliest known references to the name SWANEY can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of instruments of homage and fealty to Edward I of England. The name appears as "Swaneye," indicating its connection to the swan.

In the 14th century, the name SWANEY was also recorded in various charters and legal documents in the Scottish lowlands, often spelled as "Swany" or "Swanye." This variation in spelling was common during that time period.

The SWANEY surname is associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was John Swaney, born in 1542 in Lanarkshire. He was a prominent landowner and served as a magistrate in his local community.

Another notable SWANEY was Robert Swaney (1635-1708), a Scottish clergyman and theologian who authored several influential works on Calvinist doctrine. He was born in Renfrewshire and spent much of his life serving as a minister in various parishes throughout Scotland.

In the 18th century, the SWANEY name gained recognition through the accomplishments of Alexander Swaney (1720-1792), a successful merchant and shipowner from Glasgow. He played a significant role in the city's maritime trade and was also a philanthropist, supporting various charitable causes.

The name SWANEY has also been associated with several place names in Scotland, such as Swaneytown and Swaneyhill, both located in Renfrewshire. These locations likely derived their names from the SWANEY surname and its connection to the local area.

During the 19th century, the SWANEY surname spread beyond Scotland as members of the family emigrated to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia. One notable bearer of the name from this period was James Swaney (1822-1901), a Scottish-born engineer who played a crucial role in the construction of various railroads in the United States.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Swaney

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

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

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

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