NameCensus.

UK surname

Swanson

A patronymic surname of Swedish origin meaning "son of Sven," Sven being a Scandinavian given name.

In the 1881 census there were 2,190 people recorded with the Swanson surname, ranking it #2,026 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,567, ranked #2,578, down from #2,026 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wick, Edinburgh and Dunnet. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Caithness North West, Caithness North East and Thurso West.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Swanson is 2,575 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 17.2%.

1881 census count

2,190

Ranked #2,026

Modern count

2,567

2016, ranked #2,578

Peak year

2014

2,575 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Swanson had 2,190 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,026 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,567 in 2016, ranked #2,578.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,351 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Swanson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Swanson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Swanson 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 1,498 #1,921
1861 historical 1,603 #1,778
1881 historical 2,190 #2,026
1891 historical 2,272 #2,060
1901 historical 2,351 #2,308
1911 historical 811 #5,421
1997 modern 2,296 #2,707
1998 modern 2,403 #2,699
1999 modern 2,436 #2,693
2000 modern 2,395 #2,713
2001 modern 2,328 #2,728
2002 modern 2,405 #2,707
2003 modern 2,346 #2,710
2004 modern 2,337 #2,718
2005 modern 2,348 #2,676
2006 modern 2,321 #2,704
2007 modern 2,350 #2,707
2008 modern 2,408 #2,661
2009 modern 2,466 #2,679
2010 modern 2,503 #2,696
2011 modern 2,442 #2,721
2012 modern 2,416 #2,694
2013 modern 2,501 #2,662
2014 modern 2,575 #2,610
2015 modern 2,572 #2,586
2016 modern 2,567 #2,578

Geography

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Where Swansons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wick, Edinburgh, Dunnet, Thurso and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Caithness North West, Caithness North East, Thurso West, Thurso East and Wick South. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Wick Caithness
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Dunnet Caithness
4 Thurso Caithness
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Caithness North West Highland
2 Caithness North East Highland
3 Thurso West Highland
4 Thurso East Highland
5 Wick South Highland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Swanson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Swanson

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Swanson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Swanson household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Swanson is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Swanson 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

Swanson falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Swanson is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Swanson

The surname Swanson is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "swan" and "sunu," meaning "son of the swan keeper." It dates back to the early medieval period in England, around the 11th century.

The name was initially associated with individuals who were responsible for tending and caring for swans, which were highly valued birds during that time. Swans were often kept as royal birds, and their owners held a respected position.

One of the earliest records of the name Swanson can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which documented landowners and tenants throughout England. The name appeared as "Swanessune" in this historical document.

In the 12th century, the surname Swanson began to appear in various forms, such as "Swanesone," "Swanesson," and "Swanson." These variations reflect the regional dialects and spelling conventions of the time.

During the medieval period, the name Swanson was particularly prevalent in the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk in East Anglia, where swan breeding and rearing were common activities.

One notable figure with the surname Swanson was Sir John Swanson, a 14th-century English knight who served under King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War. Another early bearer of the name was William Swanson, a merchant from Norwich who was recorded in the city's records in the late 15th century.

In the 16th century, the name Swanson appeared in several parish records and court documents across England, indicating its widespread use. A notable example is Thomas Swanson, a landowner from Lincolnshire who was mentioned in the Feet of Fines (legal records) in 1558.

The surname Swanson continued to be prevalent in England throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. One notable figure was James Swanson, a member of the Parliament of England during the English Civil War in the mid-17th century.

As the British Empire expanded, the surname Swanson also spread to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, where it was carried by English settlers and immigrants.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Swanson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Swanson 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. Caithness leads with 840 Swansons recorded in 1881 and an index of 286.80x.

County Total Index
Caithness 840 286.80x
Midlothian 243 8.48x
Lanarkshire 141 2.04x
Middlesex 117 0.55x
Durham 104 1.63x
Aberdeenshire 89 4.49x
Northumberland 86 2.70x
Lancashire 83 0.33x
Orkney 58 24.64x
Yorkshire 46 0.22x
Surrey 43 0.41x
Angus 25 1.26x
Essex 25 0.59x
Lincolnshire 25 0.73x
Kent 24 0.33x
Dunbartonshire 20 3.48x
Hampshire 20 0.46x
Clackmannanshire 15 8.49x
Ayrshire 13 0.81x
Fife 13 1.03x
Sutherland 11 6.69x
East Lothian 10 3.53x
Rutland 10 6.37x
Shetland 8 3.66x
Banffshire 7 1.58x
Glamorgan 7 0.19x
Perthshire 7 0.73x
Renfrewshire 7 0.42x
Royal Navy 7 2.75x
Devon 6 0.13x
Inverness-shire 6 0.94x
Cumberland 5 0.27x
Kincardineshire 5 1.92x
Kirkcudbrightshire 5 1.61x
Leicestershire 5 0.21x
Peeblesshire 5 4.97x
Berkshire 4 0.25x
Berwickshire 4 1.54x
Channel Islands 4 0.63x
Gloucestershire 4 0.10x
Hertfordshire 4 0.27x
Norfolk 4 0.12x
Ross-shire 4 0.68x
West Lothian 4 1.24x
Bedfordshire 3 0.27x
Stirlingshire 3 0.38x
Westmorland 3 0.64x
Argyllshire 2 0.34x
Sussex 2 0.06x
Worcestershire 2 0.07x
Cheshire 1 0.02x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.20x
Morayshire 1 0.30x
Selkirkshire 1 0.52x
Warwickshire 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Thurso in Caithness leads with 341 Swansons recorded in 1881 and an index of 746.33x.

Place Total Index
Thurso 341 746.33x
Wick 134 141.63x
Olrig 111 758.72x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 83 7.20x
Dunnet 74 628.72x
Bower 60 508.47x
South Leith 52 16.12x
Govan 37 2.16x
Barony 35 2.00x
Watten 33 320.39x
Canisbay 32 166.41x
Gateshead 32 6.72x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 30 8.09x
Glasgow 28 2.28x
Halkirk 28 141.27x
Aberdeen Old Machar 25 6.04x
Astley 25 127.68x
Bishopwearmouth 21 3.84x
Walls Flotta 21 190.56x
Edinburgh St Stephens 20 35.45x
St Pancras London 20 1.16x
Lambeth 17 0.91x
Latheron 17 34.69x
New Monkland 16 7.82x
Alloa 15 17.51x
Lancaster 15 9.93x
Inveresk 14 18.04x
North Leith 14 10.56x
Mile End Old Town 13 3.85x
West Ham 13 1.39x
Islington London 12 0.58x
Shadwell London 12 20.05x
Southwark St Saviour 12 10.92x
Durness 11 152.14x
Kirkdale 11 2.58x
Newton On The Moor 11 643.27x
Portsea 11 1.28x
Sandwick 11 124.72x
Bromley London 10 2.12x
Lady 10 143.47x
Reay 10 62.27x
Ryhall 10 191.57x
Tynemouth 10 5.87x
Edinburgh St Marys 9 16.16x
Galston 9 20.56x
Middlesbrough 9 3.26x
Newcastle On Tyne St 9 5.45x
St Vigeans 9 8.41x
Woolwich 9 3.34x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 8 10.39x
Douglas 8 40.10x
Dumbarton 8 10.00x
Elswick 8 3.15x
Fala Soutra 8 350.88x
Otterburn 8 327.87x
Stamford All Sts 8 41.78x
York St Lawrence 8 36.18x
Barton St Mary 7 40.79x
Bradford 7 1.36x
Dirleton 7 62.95x
Everton 7 0.87x
Kensington London 7 0.59x
Liverpool 7 0.45x
Tarves 7 37.35x
Turriff 7 21.89x
Westoe 7 1.94x
Bothal Demesne 6 39.40x
Bow London 6 2.20x
Camberwell 6 0.44x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 6 8.85x
Edinburgh High Church 6 33.37x
Old Deer 6 15.98x
Plawsworth 6 86.96x
Putney 6 6.15x
Spittlegate 6 12.68x
St Martins 6 109.89x
Tingwall 6 54.95x
Walthamstow 6 3.95x
Old Monkland 5 1.82x
Wallsend 5 4.95x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 52
Elizabeth 31
Margaret 26
Jane 21
Sarah 14
Isabella 12
Ann 10
Ellen 9
Martha 9
Alice 7
Annie 6
Eliza 6
Harriet 6
Catherine 5
Charlotte 5
Kate 5
Maria 5
Ada 4
Janet 4
Amelia 3
Amy 3
Clara 3
Eleanor 3
Emma 3
Jessie 3
Agnes 2
Anne 2
Christina 2
Emilie 2
Fanny 2
Florence 2
Francis 2
Isabel 2
Louisa 2
Margeret 2
Maud 2
Rachel 2
Rosina 2
Aminda 1
Barbara 1
Blanche 1
Bridget 1
Bridgett 1
E. 1
Edith 1
Elizth. 1
Infant 1
Jamesina 1
Jeanie 1
Williamela 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 53
George 41
William 40
James 22
Thomas 19
Henry 15
Charles 13
Alexander 10
Robert 7
Andrew 6
Donald 4
Joseph 4
Matthew 4
Peter 4
Adam 3
David 3
Edward 3
Hugh 3
Richard 3
Wm. 3
Archibald 2
Arthur 2
Chas. 2
Frank 2
Nicholas 2
Walter 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Bernard 1
Chas 1
Chas.W. 1
Clive 1
Earnest 1
Elias 1
Fred 1
Fredck. 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
G. 1
Geo. 1
Geo.S. 1
J. 1
J.L. 1
Jane 1
Jas 1
L. 1
Lars 1
Lawrence 1
Leslie 1
Nathaniel 1

FAQ

Swanson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Swanson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,190 people were recorded with the Swanson surname. That placed it at #2,026 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Swanson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,567 in 2016. That gives Swanson a modern rank of #2,578.

What does the Swanson surname mean?

A patronymic surname of Swedish origin meaning "son of Sven," Sven being a Scandinavian given name.

What does the Swanson map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Swanson 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.