2000
#9,314
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,213
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.19
Rare Last name
Swinford
A locational surname derived from a place in Leicestershire, England, likely referring to a ford used by swine.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,409 Americans carry the last name Swinford. That puts it at #10,312 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.99 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 100,544 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Swinford 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 Swinford with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.4K
1 in 100,544
Census rank
#10,312
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,973 bearers of the surname Swinford in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.99 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10312th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Swinford, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Swinford
The surname SWINFORD has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval era. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from the place name Swinford, which can be found in several counties across the country, including Leicestershire, Staffordshire, and Worcestershire. The name is thought to have originated from the Old English words "swin" meaning "swine" or "pig" and "ford" meaning a shallow river crossing, suggesting that the name referred to a location where pigs were herded across a ford.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name SWINFORD can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Svineford" in reference to a settlement in Worcestershire. This historical record provides valuable insight into the prevalence and distribution of the name during the Norman conquest of England.
In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing the name SWINFORD was Sir John de Swinford, a knight who served under King Edward I and was granted lands in Wiltshire. Records from this period also mention a William de Swinford, who held estates in Oxfordshire around 1272.
During the 14th century, the name SWINFORD gained further prominence with the rise of Katherine Swynford (c.1350-1403), the mistress and later wife of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster. Their descendants, known as the Beaufort family, played a significant role in the Wars of the Roses and the subsequent Tudor dynasty.
Another prominent individual with the SWINFORD name was Sir Roger Swinford (c.1370-1437), a Member of Parliament and Sheriff of Worcestershire, who was closely associated with the powerful Beauchamp family.
In the 16th century, records show a Richard Swinford (c.1510-1580) who served as a Member of Parliament for Worcestershire and held the position of High Sheriff of the county.
The SWINFORD name continued to be found across various regions of England, with notable bearers including Sir John Swinford (1620-1679), a Royalist during the English Civil War, and Reverend John Swinford (1669-1734), a prominent clergyman and author from Worcestershire.
While the spelling and variations of the name have evolved over the centuries, the SWINFORD surname remains a testament to its locational origins, reflecting the rich tapestry of English history and the diverse backgrounds of its bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Swinford
Among Census respondents with the surname Swinford, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Swinford 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 Swinford surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.7% · 2,697
- Two or more races3.8% · 113
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 89
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.2% · 36
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 27
- Black or African American0.4% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Swinford
Swinford 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
#10,176
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,170
-43 bearers (-1.3%)
Per 100,000 1.07
Rank movement Down 862 places
2020
#10,312
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,973
-197 bearers (-6.2%)
Per 100,000 0.99
Rank movement Down 136 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,314 | 3,213 | 1.19 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,176 | 3,170 | 1.07 | -43 bearers (-1.3%) | Down 862 places |
| 2020 | #10,312 | 2,973 | 0.99 | -197 bearers (-6.2%) | Down 136 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 Swinford 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 | #10,176 | #10,312 | -1.3% |
| Count | 3,170 | 2,973 | -6.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.07 | 0.99 | -7.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Swinford bearers went from 3,170 to 2,973 (-6.2% change). The surname moved down 136 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,176 to #10,312.
FAQ
Swinford surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Swinford?
Name Census estimates that about 3,409 living Americans carry the surname Swinford. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 100,544 residents.
How common is Swinford?
Swinford ranks #10,312 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.99 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 2,973 people with the surname Swinford. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,409), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.99 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.99 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 Swinford.
Has Swinford become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Swinford went from 3,170 recorded bearers to 2,973. That is a decrease of 197 (-6.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,176 to #10,312.
What does the Census say about the background of Swinford?
Among Census respondents with the surname Swinford, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Swinford in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.7% (2,697 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Swinford appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.7%), Two or More Races (3.8%), Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Swinford (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 Swinford mean?
A locational surname derived from a place in Leicestershire, England, likely referring to a ford used by 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 Swinford (0.99 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 Swinford?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.