2000
#6,574
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,753
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.76
Rare Last name
Swindle
A surname referring to a deceiver, cheat, or one who defrauds others for personal gain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,062 Americans carry the last name Swindle. That puts it at #7,280 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.48 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 67,711 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Swindle 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 Swindle with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.1K
1 in 67,711
Census rank
#7,280
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,414 bearers of the surname Swindle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.48 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7280th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Swindle, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.4%. The next largest groups are Black (10.5%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Swindle
The surname Swindle is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "swindlen," which means "to dwindle" or "to waste away." It is believed to have originated in the late 12th or early 13th century.
The name Swindle was initially used as an occupational surname, referring to individuals who were responsible for drying and preserving provisions, particularly meat and fish. These individuals were known as "swindlers" because they ensured that the provisions did not spoil or dwindle.
The earliest known record of the surname Swindle can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, dated 1327, which mentions a Thomas le Swindler. This indicates that the name was already established in the region during that time period.
In the 15th century, the name Swindle appeared in various records, such as the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire in 1524, which listed a John Swindull. The spelling variations during this period included Swindull, Swindall, and Swindell.
One notable figure bearing the Swindle surname was John Swindle, who lived in the late 16th century and was a merchant from Bristol, England. He was involved in the trade of goods between England and the Americas.
In the 17th century, the Swindle surname was found in various parts of England, including Lincolnshire, where a record from 1642 mentions a Robert Swindle. During this period, the name was also associated with the village of Swindle in Derbyshire, which may have contributed to the spread of the surname.
Another prominent individual with the Swindle surname was William Swindle, born in 1675 in Gloucestershire, England. He was a farmer and landowner who played a significant role in the local community.
The 18th century saw the Swindle surname appearing in various parts of the United Kingdom, including Scotland, where a record from 1785 mentions a James Swindle from Ayrshire.
In the 19th century, the Swindle surname continued to be present in various parts of Britain. One notable figure was Robert Swindle, born in 1828 in Liverpool, England. He was a successful businessman and philanthropist who contributed to the development of his local community.
Throughout history, the Swindle surname has been associated with various professions, including agriculture, trade, and business. The name has also been found in different parts of the English-speaking world, as individuals bearing the surname migrated to other countries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Swindle
Among Census respondents with the surname Swindle, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.4%. The next largest groups are Black (10.5%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Swindle 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 Swindle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.4% · 3,638
- Black or African American10.5% · 463
- Two or more races3.5% · 153
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 129
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Swindle
Swindle 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
#6,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,793
+40 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 1.62
Rank movement Down 415 places
2020
#7,280
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,414
-379 bearers (-7.9%)
Per 100,000 1.48
Rank movement Down 291 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,574 | 4,753 | 1.76 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,989 | 4,793 | 1.62 | +40 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 415 places |
| 2020 | #7,280 | 4,414 | 1.48 | -379 bearers (-7.9%) | Down 291 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 Swindle 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 | #6,989 | #7,280 | -4.2% |
| Count | 4,793 | 4,414 | -7.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.62 | 1.48 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Swindle bearers went from 4,793 to 4,414 (-7.9% change). The surname moved down 291 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,989 to #7,280.
FAQ
Swindle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Swindle?
Name Census estimates that about 5,062 living Americans carry the surname Swindle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 67,711 residents.
How common is Swindle?
Swindle ranks #7,280 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.48 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 4,414 people with the surname Swindle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,062), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.48 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.48 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 Swindle.
Has Swindle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Swindle went from 4,793 recorded bearers to 4,414. That is a decrease of 379 (-7.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,989 to #7,280.
What does the Census say about the background of Swindle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Swindle, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.4%. The next largest groups are Black (10.5%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Swindle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.4% (3,638 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Swindle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.4%), Black (10.5%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Swindle (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 Swindle mean?
A surname referring to a deceiver, cheat, or one who defrauds others for personal gain. 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 Swindle (1.48 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 share the surname Swindle?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.