NameCensus.

UK surname

Swankie

In the 1881 census there were 189 people recorded with the Swankie surname, ranking it #13,322 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 359, ranked #12,898, up from #13,322 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Arbroath and St. Vigeans, Inverkeilor and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Arbroath Harbour, Arbroath Kirkton and Arbroath Keptie.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Swankie is 381 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 89.9%.

1881 census count

189

Ranked #13,322

Modern count

359

2016, ranked #12,898

Peak year

2002

381 bearers

Map years

7

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Swankie had 189 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,322 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 359 in 2016, ranked #12,898.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 266 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Swankie surname distribution map

The map shows where the Swankie surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Swankie surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Swankie over time

The 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 77 #19,998
1861 historical 115 #18,880
1881 historical 189 #13,322
1891 historical 229 #13,539
1901 historical 266 #12,617
1911 historical 3 #33,789
1997 modern 353 #12,096
1998 modern 358 #12,349
1999 modern 374 #12,026
2000 modern 368 #12,130
2001 modern 361 #12,102
2002 modern 381 #11,865
2003 modern 373 #11,857
2004 modern 370 #11,936
2005 modern 361 #12,090
2006 modern 363 #12,123
2007 modern 354 #12,489
2008 modern 364 #12,328
2009 modern 365 #12,558
2010 modern 364 #12,851
2011 modern 358 #12,883
2012 modern 353 #12,877
2013 modern 354 #13,079
2014 modern 362 #12,955
2015 modern 362 #12,825
2016 modern 359 #12,898

Geography

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Where Swankies are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Arbroath and St. Vigeans, Inverkeilor, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Crail and Panbride. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Arbroath Harbour, Arbroath Kirkton, Arbroath Keptie, Arbroath Warddykes and Arbroath Cliffburn. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Arbroath and St. Vigeans Forfar
2 Inverkeilor Forfar
3 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
4 Crail Fife
5 Panbride Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Arbroath Harbour Angus
2 Arbroath Kirkton Angus
3 Arbroath Keptie Angus
4 Arbroath Warddykes Angus
5 Arbroath Cliffburn Angus

Forenames

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First names often paired with Swankie

These lists show first names that appear often with the Swankie surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Swankie

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Swankie, 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

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Swankie surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Swankie household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Swankie is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Swankie is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Swankie falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Swankie is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Swankie, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

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Swankie families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Swankie surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Angus leads with 178 Swankies recorded in 1881 and an index of 105.33x.

County Total Index
Angus 178 105.33x
Fife 4 3.70x
Lanarkshire 3 0.51x
Durham 1 0.18x
Lancashire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Arbroath in Angus leads with 101 Swankies recorded in 1881 and an index of 1803.57x.

Place Total Index
Arbroath 101 1803.57x
St Vigeans 49 537.28x
Inverkeillor 9 857.14x
Montrose 7 68.36x
Liff Benvie 5 19.49x
Crail 4 363.64x
Dundee 4 6.34x
Govan 3 2.06x
Brechin 1 15.06x
Hurworth 1 105.26x
Monifieth 1 16.75x
North Meols 1 4.72x
Panbride 1 113.64x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Swankie surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Alice 1
Amy 1

Top occupations

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 Swankie households.

Occupation Count
Dividends 1
Scholar 1

FAQ

Swankie surname: questions and answers

How common was the Swankie surname in 1881?

In 1881, 189 people were recorded with the Swankie surname. That placed it at #13,322 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Swankie surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 359 in 2016. That gives Swankie a modern rank of #12,898.

What does the Swankie map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Swankie bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

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.