2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Swegan
An occupational surname derived from the Old English word "swegan", meaning keeper of pigs or swineherd.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Swegan. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Swegan 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Swegan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Swegan, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Swegan
The surname "SWEGAN" is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, likely derived from an Old English personal name or occupational title. It may be a variant spelling of the name "Swegan" or "Swegen," which is thought to have been derived from the Old English words "sweg" meaning "sound" or "noise," and "an" meaning "one."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "Swegan" can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and property in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This suggests that individuals bearing this name were present in England during the Norman conquest and the subsequent establishment of the feudal system.
In the 12th century, a notable individual named Swegan de Kinardsley was mentioned in records related to land holdings in Staffordshire. This indicates that the name had spread to various regions of England and was likely associated with landowners or individuals of some social standing.
During the 13th century, a cleric named William Swegan was listed as a canon of Salisbury Cathedral in Wiltshire, further demonstrating the presence of the name among the clergy and educated classes of medieval England.
In the 14th century, a man named John Swegan was recorded as a taxpayer in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire, suggesting that individuals with this surname were engaged in various occupations and contributing to the local economy.
One of the earliest known bearers of the surname "SWEGAN" was Sir Robert Swegan, a knight who lived in the 15th century and was documented as participating in the Wars of the Roses, a series of civil wars fought between the House of Lancaster and the House of York for control of the English throne.
As time passed, the surname "SWEGAN" continued to appear in various historical records, including parish registers, court documents, and tax rolls, indicating its presence across different regions of England and its association with individuals from various social strata.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Swegan
Among Census respondents with the surname Swegan, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Swegan 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 Swegan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 106
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 3
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Swegan
Swegan 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+10 bearers (+9.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 648 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-3 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,617 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+9.3%) | Up 648 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.5%) | Down 4,617 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 Swegan 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 | #141,140 | #145,757 | -3.3% |
| Count | 118 | 115 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Swegan bearers went from 118 to 115 (-2.5% change). The surname moved down 4,617 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #145,757.
FAQ
Swegan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Swegan?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Swegan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Swegan?
Swegan ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Swegan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Swegan.
Has Swegan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Swegan went from 118 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Swegan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Swegan, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Swegan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Swegan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Hispanic (2.6%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Swegan (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 Swegan mean?
An occupational surname derived from the Old English word "swegan", meaning keeper of pigs or swineherd. 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 Swegan (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 people are called Swegan?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Swegan is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.