2000
#2,773
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,941
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.43
Uncommon Last name
Swann
An English occupational surname referring to a swanherd or someone who kept swans.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,577 Americans carry the last name Swann. That puts it at #2,969 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.96 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 25,245 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Swann 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 Swann with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
14K
1 in 25,245
Census rank
#2,969
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,840 bearers of the surname Swann in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.96 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2969th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Swann, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.3%. The next largest groups are Black (24.0%) and Two or More Races (5.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Swann
The surname Swann has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "swan," which referred to the graceful waterfowl. This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname for someone who resembled a swan or lived near a body of water frequented by swans.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Swann can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landholdings and taxation commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a landowner named Swann in Northamptonshire.
The name Swann has various spellings throughout history, including Swanne, Swayne, and Swann. These variations likely emerged due to regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling conventions of the time.
In the 13th century, the surname Swann appeared in the Pipe Rolls of Bedfordshire, indicating the presence of individuals bearing this name in the county. Additionally, records from the 14th century mention a John Swann, a prominent figure in the village of Swannington, Leicestershire, which may have derived its name from the Swann family.
Notable individuals with the surname Swann include:
1. Thomas Swann (c. 1509-1554), an English Protestant martyr who was burned at the stake during the Marian Persecutions under Queen Mary I.
2. Joseph Swann (c. 1760-1828), an English engraver and painter known for his landscape and architectural etchings.
3. Alfred Swann Taylor (1806-1880), an English architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Hampshire County Hospital.
4. Mary Swann (1819-1892), an English author and poet who wrote under the pseudonym "Esperance."
5. Claude Swann (1885-1954), a British actor and theatre manager who worked extensively in the West End and on Broadway.
The surname Swann has also been associated with various place names, such as Swannington in Leicestershire, Swannington in Norfolk, and Swanton Morley in Norfolk, further underscoring its deep roots in English history and geography.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Swann
Among Census respondents with the surname Swann, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.3%. The next largest groups are Black (24.0%) and Two or More Races (5.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Swann 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 Swann surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White65.3% · 7,730
- Black or African American24.0% · 2,846
- Two or more races5.5% · 650
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 387
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 131
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 96
Timeline
Historical Census data for Swann
Swann 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
#2,916
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,293
+352 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 4.17
Rank movement Down 143 places
2020
#2,969
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,840
-453 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 3.96
Rank movement Down 53 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,773 | 11,941 | 4.43 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,916 | 12,293 | 4.17 | +352 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 143 places |
| 2020 | #2,969 | 11,840 | 3.96 | -453 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 53 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 Swann 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 | #2,916 | #2,969 | -1.8% |
| Count | 12,293 | 11,840 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 4.17 | 3.96 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Swann bearers went from 12,293 to 11,840 (-3.7% change). The surname moved down 53 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,916 to #2,969.
FAQ
Swann surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Swann?
Name Census estimates that about 13,577 living Americans carry the surname Swann. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 25,245 residents.
How common is Swann?
Swann ranks #2,969 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.96 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,840 people with the surname Swann. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,577), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.96 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.96 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Swann.
Has Swann become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Swann went from 12,293 recorded bearers to 11,840. That is a decrease of 453 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,916 to #2,969.
What does the Census say about the background of Swann?
Among Census respondents with the surname Swann, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.3%. The next largest groups are Black (24.0%) and Two or More Races (5.5%). 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 Swann in the 2020 Census, accounting for 65.3% (7,730 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Swann appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (65.3%), Black (24.0%), Two or More Races (5.5%). 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 Swann (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 Swann mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a swanherd or someone who kept swans. 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 Swann (3.96 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 Swann?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Swann on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.