2000
#96,480
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 175
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Swicord
English surname derived from Old English roots meaning "Swiss" and "cord."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 198 Americans carry the last name Swicord. That puts it at #108,965 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,731,083 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Swicord 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
198
1 in 1,731,083
Census rank
#108,965
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
173
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 173 bearers of the surname Swicord in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 108965th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Swicord, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Black (12.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Swicord
The surname Swicord has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to derive from the Old English words "swic" meaning deceiver or trickster, and "ord" meaning point or sword. This combination suggests that the name may have referred to someone who was skilled with the sword or a cunning warrior.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Swicorde." This entry indicates that the name was present in England during the Norman Conquest and the early years of the Middle Ages.
During the 13th century, the name Swicord was found in various regions of England, particularly in counties like Worcestershire and Gloucestershire. Historical records from this period mention individuals such as John Swicord, who was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275.
As the name evolved over time, variations in spelling emerged, including Swycord, Swiccord, and Swykerd. These variations were likely influenced by regional dialects and the preferences of scribes who recorded the name.
In the 15th century, the Swicord family established a presence in the town of Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire. One notable figure from this era was William Swicord, born in 1436, who served as a local magistrate and landowner in the region.
The 16th century saw the name spread to other parts of England, with records indicating the presence of Swicords in counties like Oxfordshire and Berkshire. One notable individual from this period was Robert Swicord, born in 1512, who was a merchant and active member of the Guild of Mercers in London.
As the centuries passed, the Swicord name continued to be associated with various professions and social classes. In the 17th century, Thomas Swicord, born in 1632, was a renowned clockmaker in the city of Bristol, known for his intricate timepieces.
Another notable figure was Elizabeth Swicord, born in 1701, who was a pioneering educator and established one of the first schools for girls in the village of Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire.
In the 19th century, the Swicord family gained prominence in the field of literature. Samuel Swicord, born in 1823, was a celebrated poet and author, known for his works that explored the themes of nature and rural life in England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Swicord
Among Census respondents with the surname Swicord, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Black (12.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Swicord 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 Swicord surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.7% · 150
- Black or African American12.1% · 21
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 1
- Two or more races0.6% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Swicord
Swicord 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
#95,545
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 191
+16 bearers (+9.1%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Up 935 places
2020
#108,965
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 173
-18 bearers (-9.4%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 13,420 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #96,480 | 175 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #95,545 | 191 | 0.06 | +16 bearers (+9.1%) | Up 935 places |
| 2020 | #108,965 | 173 | 0.06 | -18 bearers (-9.4%) | Down 13,420 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 Swicord 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 | #95,545 | #108,965 | -14.0% |
| Count | 191 | 173 | -9.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.06 | -3.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Swicord bearers went from 191 to 173 (-9.4% change). The surname moved down 13,420 positions in the national ranking, going from #95,545 to #108,965.
FAQ
Swicord surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Swicord?
Name Census estimates that about 198 living Americans carry the surname Swicord. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,731,083 residents.
How common is Swicord?
Swicord ranks #108,965 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 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 173 people with the surname Swicord. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (198), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 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 Swicord.
Has Swicord become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Swicord went from 191 recorded bearers to 173. That is a decrease of 18 (-9.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #95,545 to #108,965.
What does the Census say about the background of Swicord?
Among Census respondents with the surname Swicord, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Black (12.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.6%). 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 Swicord in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.7% (150 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Swicord appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.7%), Black (12.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.6%). 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 Swicord (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 Swicord mean?
English surname derived from Old English roots meaning "Swiss" and "cord." 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 Swicord (0.06 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 have the last name Swicord?
Want to know how many people are called Swicord? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.