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

Swyers, 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 Swyers surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Swyers in America

Swyers is the 29117th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Swyers surname appeared 814 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Swyers.

We can also compare 2010 data for Swyers to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Swyers

The surname SWYERS is of English origin, emerging in the Middle Ages around the 13th century. It is believed to have originated from the Old English word "swyor," meaning a pillar or support beam, suggesting that the name may have initially referred to a maker or seller of support beams for construction purposes.

The earliest recorded instances of the SWYERS surname can be traced back to the county of Lincolnshire in eastern England. Historical records from the 14th century, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, mention individuals with the surname spelled as "Swyer" and "Swyere," which were likely earlier variations of the modern spelling.

One notable mention of the SWYERS surname is found in the "Boke of St. Albans," a 15th-century treatise on hunting and hawking, where a certain "John Swyers" is listed as a falconer. This suggests that some SWYERS may have been associated with the noble pursuit of falconry during that period.

In the 16th century, the SWYERS surname appeared in various parish records across England, particularly in the counties of Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, and Derbyshire. One prominent individual was William SWYERS (1523-1592), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Nottinghamshire, who played a significant role in local affairs and held several civic positions.

As the surname spread across England, it also underwent several spelling variations, including SWYER, SWIRE, and SWIRES. In the 18th century, the SWYERS spelling became more standardized, and the name gained recognition through notable individuals such as John SWYERS (1725-1801), a renowned clockmaker from London, whose intricate timepieces were highly sought after by aristocrats and royalty.

Another prominent figure was Sir Robert SWYERS (1794-1872), a successful businessman and philanthropist from Yorkshire, who made significant contributions to the development of his local community and was knighted for his services to industry and charity.

During the 19th century, the SWYERS surname continued to be represented across various professions, including academia and literature. One such individual was Elizabeth SWYERS (1838-1917), a celebrated author and poet from Warwickshire, whose works often explored themes of nature and rural life.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Swyers

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

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 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Swyers 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.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Swyers has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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 Swyers was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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