2000
#138,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Swinburn
A locational surname referring to someone from a place with a burned swine.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Swinburn. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Swinburn 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 Swinburn with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Swinburn in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Swinburn, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Swinburn
The surname Swinburn originated in England during the medieval era, deriving from the Old English words "swinn" meaning a herdsman and "burna" meaning a stream or brook. It was an occupational surname given to those who tended to livestock near a stream or brook.
The earliest recorded mention of the surname Swinburn dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Swinburne" in Yorkshire. This suggests the name originated in the northern regions of England, likely around Yorkshire or Northumberland.
In the 13th century, the surname was recorded as "Swynburn" and "Swynburne" in various historical records, reflecting the evolving spelling over time. The name was also associated with various place names, such as Swinburn in Northumberland and Swinburne in Yorkshire.
One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was Sir Adam de Swinburn, a knight who lived in the 13th century and was recorded in the Hundred Rolls of Northumberland in 1273.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in the form "Swynbourne" in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1327. During this time, the Swinburn family established themselves as landowners in Northumberland and the surrounding areas.
Notable individuals with the surname Swinburn throughout history include:
1. Algernon Charles Swinburne (1837-1909), a renowned English poet and critic of the Victorian era, known for his works such as "Atalanta in Calydon" and "Poems and Ballads."
2. Sir John Swinburn (1556-1616), an English judge and Member of Parliament during the reign of King James I.
3. Henry Swinburne (1551-1624), an English traveler and author who wrote about his travels to Spain and the Holy Land.
4. Tobias Swinburne (1726-1809), an English clergyman and author who wrote on theological subjects.
5. Capel Swinburn (c.1662-1719), an English landowner and Member of Parliament who represented Northumberland in the House of Commons.
While the surname Swinburn has its roots in northern England, particularly in Northumberland and Yorkshire, it has since spread to other parts of the country and beyond, carried by various branches of the family over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Swinburn
Among Census respondents with the surname Swinburn, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Swinburn 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 Swinburn surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.8% · 101
- Two or more races4.5% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Swinburn
Swinburn 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
#130,610
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
+19 bearers (+17.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,131 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-20 bearers (-15.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,836 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #138,741 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #130,610 | 130 | 0.04 | +19 bearers (+17.1%) | Up 8,131 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -20 bearers (-15.4%) | Down 18,836 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 Swinburn 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 | #130,610 | #149,446 | -14.4% |
| Count | 130 | 110 | -15.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Swinburn bearers went from 130 to 110 (-15.4% change). The surname moved down 18,836 positions in the national ranking, going from #130,610 to #149,446.
FAQ
Swinburn surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Swinburn?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Swinburn. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Swinburn?
Swinburn ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Swinburn. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Swinburn.
Has Swinburn become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Swinburn went from 130 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 20 (-15.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #130,610 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Swinburn?
Among Census respondents with the surname Swinburn, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Swinburn in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.8% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Swinburn appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.8%), Two or More Races (4.5%), Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Swinburn (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 Swinburn mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from a place with a burned swine. 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 Swinburn (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 Swinburn?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.