2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Swannack
A locational surname derived from a place in England referring to someone from Swannick/Swanage.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Swannack. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Swannack 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 Swannack with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Swannack in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Swannack, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.5%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Swannack
The surname "SWANNACK" is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "swan" and "ac," which together mean "swan oak" or "oak tree frequented by swans." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a topographical feature or a location where swans were commonly found near oak trees.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century, with references found in various historical records and documents from that time. One notable mention is in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where the name appears as "Swanok." This variation in spelling was common during the Middle Ages, as standardized spellings were not yet widely adopted.
During the 14th century, the name "SWANNACK" began to appear more frequently in various records, including parish registers and tax rolls. One of the earliest known individuals with this surname was John Swannack, who was mentioned in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire in 1348.
In the 15th century, the name "SWANNACK" appeared to have spread beyond its original region, with records showing individuals bearing this surname in various parts of England. One notable figure was Thomas Swannack, a merchant from London who was mentioned in the City of London Records in 1472.
As the centuries progressed, the "SWANNACK" surname continued to be found in various historical records and documents. In the 16th century, there was a Richard Swannack, a landowner from Gloucestershire, who was recorded in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1523. Another noteworthy individual was William Swannack, a member of the Guild of Weavers in Norwich, who lived in the late 16th century.
The 17th century saw the emergence of several notable individuals with the "SWANNACK" surname. One such figure was John Swannack (1603-1681), a clergyman and author from Worcestershire, who wrote a treatise on church governance. Another was Robert Swannack (1628-1692), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Suffolk, whose estate was mentioned in the Court Rolls of Bury St. Edmunds in 1679.
In the 18th century, the name "SWANNACK" continued to appear in various records, including parish registers, wills, and legal documents. One notable figure from this period was Thomas Swannack (1717-1789), a prosperous farmer and landowner from Oxfordshire, whose property was documented in the Enclosure Awards of 1776.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Swannack
Among Census respondents with the surname Swannack, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.5%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Swannack 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 Swannack surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.9% · 102
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.5% · 5
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Swannack
Swannack 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
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,383 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-3 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,445 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #135,837 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 9,383 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.6%) | Down 3,445 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 Swannack 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 | #145,220 | #148,665 | -2.4% |
| Count | 114 | 111 | -2.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Swannack bearers went from 114 to 111 (-2.6% change). The surname moved down 3,445 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #148,665.
FAQ
Swannack surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Swannack?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Swannack. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Swannack?
Swannack ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 111 people with the surname Swannack. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Swannack.
Has Swannack become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Swannack went from 114 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Swannack?
Among Census respondents with the surname Swannack, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.5%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Swannack in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Swannack appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.5%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Swannack (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 Swannack mean?
A locational surname derived from a place in England referring to someone from Swannick/Swanage. 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 Swannack (0.04 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 many Americans have the surname Swannack?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.