Find out how popular the last name Swithers is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Swithers.

Swithers, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Swithers surname is from the 2000 census data.

Popularity of Swithers in America

Swithers is the 138741st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Swithers surname appeared 111 times in the 2000 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Swithers.

The history of the last name Swithers

The surname Swithers originates from England, dating back to the early medieval period. The name primarily hails from the northern regions of England, including Yorkshire and Lancashire. It is derived from an Old English word "swiðer," meaning "strong" or "vigorous." This suggests that individuals carrying the surname Swithers were likely known for their physical strength or fortitude.

One of the earliest references to the name Swithers is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, an extensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror. In the Domesday Book, there is a mention of a man named Swiðer, which could be an early variant of the surname. Throughout the 12th and 13th centuries, various spellings such as Swither and Swydher can be found in legal documents and land grants, indicating the persistence of the name in local records.

In 1379, a Richard Swithers is recorded in the Poll Tax records of Yorkshire, illustrating the continued presence of the surname in northern England. Richard's participation in local affairs is a testament to the name’s historical roots in the region. Subsequently, another notable figure, William Swithers, appears in the York Minster archives in the 15th century. Born around 1410, William Swithers was a minor clergy member, whose records give us insight into the spread of the surname beyond its original areas.

A transition in the spelling of the surname can be noted in the 16th century when Thomas Swithers of Lancashire is mentioned in the records of the Tudor period. Born in 1542 and died in 1591, Thomas was a local landholder and is believed to have been involved in the wool trade, indicating the professional diversification of the Swithers family.

In the early 18th century, we find another representative of the surname, John Swithers, born in 1703 in the town of Leeds. John Swithers is noted in the annals of local civic duties and is known to have been an active participant in the town's parish council. His descendants later migrated to the Americas, spreading the surname beyond the British Isles.

Lastly, Elizabeth Swithers, born in 1862, carried the surname into the Victorian era. Elizabeth was a trailblazer in education, becoming one of the first women to take up a teaching post at an established academy in Manchester. Her contributions highlight the evolving roles and prominence of individuals with this surname over the centuries.

The surname Swithers has thus been firmly rooted in English history, evolving from an indicator of physical strength to being associated with diverse professions and societal contributions. As surname spellings stabilized by the Modern English period, Swithers has remained a consistent name in both historical records and family lineages.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Swithers

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Swithers.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2000 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Swithers was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Swithers was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Swithers, please contact us.

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