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
General Labourer 83
Living On Own Means 77
General Servant Domestic 50
Dress Maker 44
Scholar 33
Domestic Servant 32
Cook Domestic 30
Agricultural Labourer 29
Carpenter 27
Housemaid Domestic 24
Farmer 19
Coal Miner Hewer 18
House Maid Domestic 16
Cotton Weaver 16
Carman 15
Charwoman 15
Laundress Wash 15
House Keeper Domestic 13
Student 13
Labourer 12
Clerk 11
House Keeper 11
Butcher 11
Farm Labourer 11
Blacksmith 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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