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
School 528
Farm Labourer 54
General Labourer 52
Private Means 41
None 38
General Servant (domestic) 34
Labourer 33
Domestic Servant 28
Coal Miner Hewer 27
General Servant Domestic 21
Clerk 19
Dressmaker 18
Fisherman 17
Bricklayer 16
House Keeper 16
Shop Assistant 16
Labourer On Farm 15
Housekeeper 15
At Home 14
Carpenter 14
Dress Maker 14
Farmer 14
Blacksmith 14
Carman 13
Laundress 13

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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