2000
#28,674
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 782
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.29
Rare Last name
Swarey
A surname possibly derived from a former residence or place near a swampy area.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,051 Americans carry the last name Swarey. That puts it at #15,716 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 167,116 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Swarey 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.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 167,116
Census rank
#15,716
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,789 bearers of the surname Swarey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15716th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Swarey, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.3%) and Two or More Races (0.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Swarey
The surname SWAREY is believed to have originated in England, likely during the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name, derived from a place name that no longer exists or has been lost over time.
One theory suggests that SWAREY may be a variation of the Old English word "swær," meaning "heavy" or "ponderous." This could indicate that the name originated from a descriptive term referring to a person's physical appearance or demeanor.
Another possibility is that SWAREY is a corruption or variant spelling of the surname "Swire," which itself is derived from the Old Norse word "svīra," meaning "neck" or "nape." This could suggest a connection to an ancestor who had a distinctive physical characteristic related to their neck or upper back.
Historical records mentioning individuals with the surname SWAREY are scarce, but a few notable examples can be found. In the 16th century, a John SWAREY is recorded as a landowner in the village of Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire.
In the 17th century, a William SWAREY is listed as a merchant in the city of Bristol, known for his involvement in the thriving trade industry of the time.
Moving into the 18th century, a notable figure was Elizabeth SWAREY (1715-1784), a renowned author and poet from Warwickshire. Her works, though not widely published during her lifetime, gained recognition for their poetic skill and observations of rural life.
In the 19th century, a prominent individual was Sir Richard SWAREY (1837-1912), a distinguished military officer who served in the British Army during the Crimean War and later became a member of the Royal Victorian Order.
Towards the end of the 19th century, a notable SWAREY was James SWAREY (1862-1937), a renowned architect from Yorkshire. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings, including the iconic Town Hall in Leeds.
While the surname SWAREY is not among the most common in England, its origins and historical references reflect a rich tapestry of stories and individuals who have contributed to the cultural fabric of the nation over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Swarey
Among Census respondents with the surname Swarey, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.3%) and Two or More Races (0.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Swarey 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 Swarey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.4% · 1,779
- Hispanic or Latino0.3% · 5
- Two or more races0.2% · 4
- Black or African American0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Swarey
Swarey 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
#19,348
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,398
+616 bearers (+78.8%)
Per 100,000 0.47
Rank movement Up 9,326 places
2020
#15,716
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,789
+391 bearers (+28.0%)
Per 100,000 0.60
Rank movement Up 3,632 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #28,674 | 782 | 0.29 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #19,348 | 1,398 | 0.47 | +616 bearers (+78.8%) | Up 9,326 places |
| 2020 | #15,716 | 1,789 | 0.60 | +391 bearers (+28.0%) | Up 3,632 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 Swarey 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 | #19,348 | #15,716 | 18.8% |
| Count | 1,398 | 1,789 | 28.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.47 | 0.60 | 27.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Swarey bearers went from 1,398 to 1,789 (+28.0% change). The surname moved up 3,632 positions in the national ranking, going from #19,348 to #15,716.
FAQ
Swarey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Swarey?
Name Census estimates that about 2,051 living Americans carry the surname Swarey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 167,116 residents.
How common is Swarey?
Swarey ranks #15,716 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.60 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 1,789 people with the surname Swarey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,051), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.60 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 Swarey.
Has Swarey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Swarey went from 1,398 recorded bearers to 1,789. That is an increase of 391 (+28.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #19,348 to #15,716.
What does the Census say about the background of Swarey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Swarey, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.3%) and Two or More Races (0.2%). 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 Swarey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.4% (1,779 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Swarey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.4%), Hispanic (0.3%), Two or More Races (0.2%). 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 Swarey (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 Swarey mean?
A surname possibly derived from a former residence or place near a swampy area. 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 Swarey (0.60 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 Swarey?
Find out how many people have the last name Swarey on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.