2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Swinnea
A Scottish surname derived from a place name, possibly meaning "hollow" or "swine pasture".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Swinnea. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Swinnea 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Swinnea in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Swinnea, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Swinnea
The surname SWINNEA has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "swine," which means pig or swine, combined with the suffix "-ea," denoting a meadow or pasture. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a person who owned or managed a pasture where swine were raised.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "Swinea" in this historical document, indicating its presence in Anglo-Saxon England.
By the 13th century, the surname had evolved into various spellings, such as "Swynney," "Swinney," and "Swinea." These variations reflect the inconsistencies in spelling during that era, as well as regional dialects and pronunciation differences.
Notable individuals bearing the surname SWINNEA include Sir John Swinnea, a prominent landowner and knight who lived in the 14th century. His estate, known as Swinnea Manor, was located in the county of Derbyshire. Records also mention a William Swinnea, a merchant from the city of York, who traded extensively with the Hanseatic League in the late 15th century.
In the 16th century, a branch of the SWINNEA family settled in the village of Swinney, located in the county of Gloucestershire. This place name is likely derived from the surname itself, suggesting that the family had a strong presence in the area and may have contributed to its naming.
Another noteworthy figure was Robert Swinnea, born in 1625, who served as a captain in the English Civil War and fought alongside the Parliamentarian forces. His bravery and leadership during the Battle of Naseby in 1645 were widely celebrated.
In the 18th century, a prominent scholar and linguist named Elizabeth Swinnea, born in 1712, made significant contributions to the study of ancient languages. Her translations of classical Greek and Latin texts were highly regarded in academic circles.
As the centuries passed, the SWINNEA surname continued to spread across England and eventually to other parts of the British Isles and beyond. While its origins can be traced back to the medieval era, the name has endured and been carried forward by countless individuals throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Swinnea
Among Census respondents with the surname Swinnea, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Swinnea 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 Swinnea surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.5% · 107
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Swinnea
Swinnea 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+17 bearers (+16.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,581 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-10 bearers (-8.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,627 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | +17 bearers (+16.2%) | Up 7,581 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.2%) | Down 10,627 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 Swinnea 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 | #137,327 | #147,954 | -7.7% |
| Count | 122 | 112 | -8.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Swinnea bearers went from 122 to 112 (-8.2% change). The surname moved down 10,627 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #147,954.
FAQ
Swinnea surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Swinnea?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Swinnea. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Swinnea?
Swinnea ranks #147,954 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 112 people with the surname Swinnea. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), 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 Swinnea.
Has Swinnea become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Swinnea went from 122 recorded bearers to 112. That is a decrease of 10 (-8.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Swinnea?
Among Census respondents with the surname Swinnea, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Swinnea in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.5% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Swinnea appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.5%), Two or More Races (1.8%), Black (0.9%). 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 Swinnea (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 Swinnea mean?
A Scottish surname derived from a place name, possibly meaning "hollow" or "swine pasture". 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 Swinnea (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 have the last name Swinnea?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Swinnea on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.