UK surname
In the 1881 census there were 40 people recorded with the Swains surname, ranking it #28,011 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 31, ranked #35,942, down from #28,011 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Radnage, Hastings All Saints and Chinnor. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Swains is 100 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 22.5%.
1881 census count
40
Ranked #28,011
Modern count
31
2016, ranked #35,942
Peak year
1891
100 bearers
Map years
1
1891 to 1891
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Swains surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Swains surname density by area, 1891 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.
| Year | Period | Count | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1851 | historical | 34 | #27,194 |
| 1861 | historical | 65 | #25,618 |
| 1881 | historical | 40 | #28,011 |
| 1891 | historical | 100 | #24,045 |
| 1901 | historical | 51 | #28,492 |
| 1911 | historical | 73 | #25,541 |
| 1997 | modern | 38 | #33,872 |
| 1998 | modern | 40 | #33,856 |
| 1999 | modern | 40 | #33,967 |
| 2000 | modern | 36 | #34,317 |
| 2001 | modern | 34 | #34,356 |
| 2002 | modern | 43 | #33,871 |
| 2003 | modern | 41 | #34,113 |
| 2004 | modern | 38 | #34,555 |
| 2005 | modern | 33 | #35,119 |
| 2006 | modern | 30 | #35,526 |
| 2007 | modern | 29 | #35,725 |
| 2008 | modern | 29 | #35,808 |
| 2009 | modern | 29 | #35,922 |
| 2010 | modern | 35 | #35,676 |
| 2011 | modern | 37 | #35,553 |
| 2012 | modern | 33 | #35,767 |
| 2013 | modern | 32 | #35,862 |
| 2014 | modern | 31 | #35,953 |
| 2015 | modern | 32 | #35,876 |
| 2016 | modern | 31 | #35,942 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Radnage, Hastings All Saints, Chinnor, Risborough, Princes and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Radnage | Buckinghamshire |
| 2 | Hastings All Saints | Sussex |
| 3 | Chinnor | Buckinghamshire |
| 4 | Risborough, Princes | Buckinghamshire |
| 5 | Lambeth | London (South Districts) |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Swains surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Swains, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.
These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.
The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.
UK neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Swains surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Swains household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Swains is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Swains is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Swains, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Swains surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Yorkshire leads with 11 Swains' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.85x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Yorkshire | 11 | 2.85x |
| Buckinghamshire | 6 | 25.45x |
| Sussex | 6 | 9.13x |
| Oxfordshire | 5 | 20.76x |
| Berkshire | 4 | 13.67x |
| Lancashire | 3 | 0.65x |
| Cheshire | 2 | 2.32x |
| Middlesex | 2 | 0.51x |
| Nottinghamshire | 1 | 1.90x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Allerston in Yorkshire leads with 6 Swains' recorded in 1881 and an index of 10000.00x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Allerston | 6 | 10000.00x |
| Hastings All Sts | 6 | 967.74x |
| Chinnor | 5 | 2941.18x |
| Aylesbury | 4 | 384.62x |
| Basildon | 4 | 4444.44x |
| Ormesby | 3 | 288.46x |
| Whalley | 3 | 447.76x |
| Long Crendon | 2 | 1250.00x |
| Acton | 1 | 43.67x |
| Arclid | 1 | 2500.00x |
| Chester Holy Trinity | 1 | 250.00x |
| Papplewick | 1 | 2500.00x |
| Tottenham | 1 | 16.10x |
| West Ayton | 1 | 1666.67x |
| York All Sts North | 1 | 526.32x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Swains surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Swains surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Swains households.
| Occupation | Count |
|---|---|
| Scholar | 10 |
| Lace Maker | 2 |
| (Cabt) Chair Turner | 1 |
| Ag Lab | 1 |
| Asphalter | 1 |
| Clerk To Shipbrokers | 1 |
| Coachman | 1 |
| Cook | 1 |
| Cook Domestic Servant | 1 |
| Cotton Mule Spinner | 1 |
| Cotton Warehouse Boy | 1 |
| Daughter | 1 |
| Farm Lab | 1 |
| Farm Laborer (Hind) | 1 |
| Farm Serv In Door | 1 |
| Gen Lab | 1 |
| Genl Labourer | 1 |
| Housekeeper | 1 |
| Laborer On GW Raily | 1 |
| Laborer Wife | 1 |
| Lacemaker | 1 |
| Laundress | 1 |
| Nill | 1 |
| Nursemaid | 1 |
| Son Infant | 1 |
| Wharf Craine Man (Habour M W) | 1 |
FAQ
In 1881, 40 people were recorded with the Swains surname. That placed it at #28,011 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 31 in 2016. That gives Swains a modern rank of #35,942.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Swains bearers relative to the surrounding population.
The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.