2000
#7,391
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,158
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.54
Rare Last name
Swaney
Derived from the Old Norse byname "Sveini," meaning a young man, boy, or servant.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,494 Americans carry the last name Swaney. That puts it at #8,096 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.31 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 76,269 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Swaney 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 Swaney with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.5K
1 in 76,269
Census rank
#8,096
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,919 bearers of the surname Swaney in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.31 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8096th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Swaney, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Swaney
Among Census respondents with the surname Swaney, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Swaney 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 Swaney surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.1% · 3,610
- Two or more races3.3% · 131
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 99
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 29
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 26
- Black or African American0.6% · 24
Timeline
Historical Census data for Swaney
Swaney 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
#7,459
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,468
+310 bearers (+7.5%)
Per 100,000 1.51
Rank movement Down 68 places
2020
#8,096
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,919
-549 bearers (-12.3%)
Per 100,000 1.31
Rank movement Down 637 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,391 | 4,158 | 1.54 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,459 | 4,468 | 1.51 | +310 bearers (+7.5%) | Down 68 places |
| 2020 | #8,096 | 3,919 | 1.31 | -549 bearers (-12.3%) | Down 637 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 Swaney 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 | #7,459 | #8,096 | -8.5% |
| Count | 4,468 | 3,919 | -12.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.51 | 1.31 | -13.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Swaney bearers went from 4,468 to 3,919 (-12.3% change). The surname moved down 637 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,459 to #8,096.
FAQ
Swaney surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Swaney?
Name Census estimates that about 4,494 living Americans carry the surname Swaney. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 76,269 residents.
How common is Swaney?
Swaney ranks #8,096 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.31 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 3,919 people with the surname Swaney. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,494), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.31 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.31 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 Swaney.
Has Swaney become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Swaney went from 4,468 recorded bearers to 3,919. That is a decrease of 549 (-12.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,459 to #8,096.
What does the Census say about the background of Swaney?
Among Census respondents with the surname Swaney, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Swaney in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.1% (3,610 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Swaney appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.1%), Two or More Races (3.3%), Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Swaney (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 Swaney mean?
Derived from the Old Norse byname "Sveini," meaning a young man, boy, or servant. 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 Swaney (1.31 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 common is the surname Swaney?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Swaney at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.