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

Swarthout, 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 Swarthout surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Swarthout in America

Swarthout is the 15560th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Swarthout surname appeared 1,880 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Swarthout.

We can also compare 2010 data for Swarthout 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 Swarthout

The surname Swarthout is believed to have originated in the Netherlands, specifically in the region of Gelderland, during the 16th century. The name is derived from the Dutch words "swart" meaning black, and "hout" meaning wood, likely referring to someone who lived near or worked in a wooded area with abundant blackwood trees.

The earliest recorded instances of the Swarthout surname can be found in Dutch church records and municipal archives from the late 1500s and early 1600s. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Hendrick Swarthout, born around 1580 in the town of Nijmegen, Gelderland.

In the 17th century, several Swarthout families immigrated to the Dutch colony of New Netherland, which later became part of New York. One of the first documented Swarthouts in the New World was Roelof Swarthout, who arrived in New Amsterdam (now New York City) in 1654.

Over the centuries, the Swarthout name has been spelled in various ways, including Swarthout, Swartout, Swarthowt, and Swartwout. These variations can be found in historical records and census data from the Netherlands, the United States, and other countries where descendants of the Swarthout family have settled.

Notable individuals with the surname Swarthout include:

1. Gladys Swarthout (1900-1969), an American operatic mezzo-soprano who performed with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City and was a popular radio and recording artist.

2. John Swarthout (1640-1718), one of the earliest Dutch settlers in New Netherland and a founder of the town of Hurley, New York.

3. Samuel Swarthout (1753-1842), an American soldier who fought in the Revolutionary War and later served as a member of the New York State Assembly.

4. Elias Swarthout (1790-1868), an American politician and businessman who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from New York.

5. Henry Swarthout (1847-1928), a Union Army veteran of the American Civil War and later a prominent businessman and civic leader in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The Swarthout surname has a rich history spanning several centuries and multiple continents, with its origins rooted in the Netherlands and its branches extending to various parts of the world through migration and diaspora.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Swarthout

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

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

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

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