Swan Name Origin, Meaning and Family History

Swan Name Meaning: From an Old English personal name 'Swein' & in turn from the Old Norse name 'Sveinn'.

First found in Lanarkshire & was a nickname given to a person noted for purity or excellence, or resembling a swan in some other way.

Discover how your Swan ancestors earned their living and spread across the country. Find out more about your family history by using the Free Search box.

Surname Distribution

Census frequency by county

Name Concentrations Within England and Wales

Swan Surname Statistics


Top Professions for the Swan family

Profession Census Frequency
Scholar 495
Agricultural Labourer 180
Labourer 76
House Servant 71
Farm Labourer 48
Servant 41
Dress Maker 39
At Home 38
Laundress 23
Annuitant 23
House Keeper 18
Tailor 18
Coal Miner 18
General Servant 17
Carpenter 16
Scholar At Home 16
Farmers Son 16
Pauper 15
Errand Boy 15
Grocer 14
Shoe Maker 14
Butcher 13
Gardener 12
Milliner 12
Lace Maker 11

Swan Surname Variants Ranking

Rank Surname Match Census Frequency
1 Swain 80% 39,675
2 Swan 100% 39,286
3 Swann 80% 21,620
4 Swaine 67% 9,553
5 Oswin 60% 2,352
6 Swine 60% 752
7 Swin 75% 686
8 Swane 80% 463
9 Sewin 60% 192
10 Sween 60% 192
11 Sowen 60% 177
12 Sawn 50% 131
13 Aswin 60% 115
14 Sawin 60% 104
15 Swen 75% 102

Did you know?

The surname Swan is the 2nd most popular variant of Swain.

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