2000
#8,720
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,469
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.29
Rare Last name
Swinson
Derived from a place name meaning "Sven's son," referring to a descendant of someone named Sven.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,983 Americans carry the last name Swinson. That puts it at #9,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 86,054 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Swinson 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 Swinson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.0K
1 in 86,054
Census rank
#9,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,473 bearers of the surname Swinson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Swinson, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.7%. The next largest groups are Black (35.1%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Swinson
The surname Swinson is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval era. It is believed to have emerged in the counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire, where it was likely derived from the Old English personal name Swein, which means "young man" or "youth."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Swinson name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1166, where it appears as "Sweinson." This early spelling variation highlights the name's evolution over time, with the transition from "Sweinson" to "Swinson" reflecting the natural changes in language and pronunciation.
During the 13th century, the Swinson name gained prominence in the village of Swinshead, located in the historical county of Lincolnshire. It is speculated that the name may have originated from this place name, which itself is derived from the Old English words "swine" (meaning swine or pig) and "heafod" (meaning head or headland).
In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a record of landowners and tenants in England, there is an entry for a William Swynesheuede, whose name is believed to be a precursor to the modern Swinson spelling. This historical document provides invaluable insight into the early iterations of the name and its geographical distribution.
Notable individuals bearing the Swinson surname throughout history include:
1. Robert Swinson (c. 1580-1650), an English clergyman and author who served as the rector of Beckingham, Lincolnshire.
2. William Swinson (1670-1733), a British naval officer and explorer who led expeditions to the South Pacific and authored accounts of his voyages.
3. Mary Swinson (1787-1865), a prominent philanthropist and social reformer from Yorkshire, known for her work in establishing schools and advocating for women's rights.
4. John Swinson (1825-1901), a Scottish businessman and industrialist who founded the Swinson Textile Mills, a major employer in the city of Glasgow.
5. Elizabeth Swinson (1890-1976), an English author and playwright whose works explored themes of love, loss, and family dynamics.
The Swinson surname has endured through the centuries, with its roots firmly planted in the rich tapestry of English history. From its humble beginnings as a personal name in Yorkshire and Lancashire, it has evolved and spread across various regions, leaving an indelible mark on the annals of time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Swinson
Among Census respondents with the surname Swinson, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.7%. The next largest groups are Black (35.1%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Swinson 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 Swinson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White56.7% · 1,968
- Black or African American35.1% · 1,220
- Two or more races4.3% · 148
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 94
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 26
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Swinson
Swinson 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
#8,681
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,784
+315 bearers (+9.1%)
Per 100,000 1.28
Rank movement Up 39 places
2020
#9,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,473
-311 bearers (-8.2%)
Per 100,000 1.16
Rank movement Down 347 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,720 | 3,469 | 1.29 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,681 | 3,784 | 1.28 | +315 bearers (+9.1%) | Up 39 places |
| 2020 | #9,028 | 3,473 | 1.16 | -311 bearers (-8.2%) | Down 347 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 Swinson 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 | #8,681 | #9,028 | -4.0% |
| Count | 3,784 | 3,473 | -8.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.28 | 1.16 | -9.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Swinson bearers went from 3,784 to 3,473 (-8.2% change). The surname moved down 347 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,681 to #9,028.
FAQ
Swinson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Swinson?
Name Census estimates that about 3,983 living Americans carry the surname Swinson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 86,054 residents.
How common is Swinson?
Swinson ranks #9,028 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.16 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 3,473 people with the surname Swinson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,983), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.16 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 Swinson.
Has Swinson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Swinson went from 3,784 recorded bearers to 3,473. That is a decrease of 311 (-8.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,681 to #9,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Swinson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Swinson, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.7%. The next largest groups are Black (35.1%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Swinson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 56.7% (1,968 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Swinson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (56.7%), Black (35.1%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Swinson (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 Swinson mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "Sven's son," referring to a descendant of someone named Sven. 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 Swinson (1.16 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 are called Swinson?
Want to know how many people have the surname Swinson? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.