NameCensus.

UK surname

Swatman

An occupational surname derived from the Middle English word "swat," meaning a woodcutter or forest ranger.

In the 1881 census there were 190 people recorded with the Swatman surname, ranking it #13,270 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 300, ranked #14,738, down from #13,270 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, King's Lynn St Margaret and Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Waveney, Norwich and South Norfolk.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Swatman is 342 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 57.9%.

1881 census count

190

Ranked #13,270

Modern count

300

2016, ranked #14,738

Peak year

1998

342 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Swatman had 190 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,270 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 300 in 2016, ranked #14,738.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 332 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Swatman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Swatman surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Swatman 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 122 #14,966
1861 historical 177 #13,265
1881 historical 190 #13,270
1891 historical 271 #11,992
1901 historical 292 #11,861
1911 historical 332 #10,642
1997 modern 315 #13,111
1998 modern 342 #12,739
1999 modern 328 #13,183
2000 modern 332 #13,023
2001 modern 342 #12,566
2002 modern 342 #12,837
2003 modern 337 #12,759
2004 modern 318 #13,374
2005 modern 320 #13,243
2006 modern 316 #13,402
2007 modern 320 #13,442
2008 modern 316 #13,661
2009 modern 315 #13,960
2010 modern 322 #14,034
2011 modern 326 #13,775
2012 modern 306 #14,327
2013 modern 308 #14,482
2014 modern 308 #14,571
2015 modern 310 #14,402
2016 modern 300 #14,738

Geography

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Where Swatmans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, King's Lynn St Margaret, Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos, Wymondham and Lowestoft, Kirkley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Waveney, Norwich, South Norfolk, Kingston upon Hull and Broadland. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 King's Lynn St Margaret Norfolk
3 Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos Norfolk
4 Wymondham Norfolk
5 Lowestoft, Kirkley Suffolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Waveney 005 Waveney
2 Norwich 006 Norwich
3 South Norfolk 001 South Norfolk
4 Kingston upon Hull 002 Kingston upon Hull, City of
5 Broadland 016 Broadland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Swatman

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Swatman

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Swatman, 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 Swatman surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Swatman 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Swatman is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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 neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Swatman is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Swatman falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Swatman is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Swatman

The surname Swatman originates from England and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "swætan" meaning to sweat or toil, and "mann" meaning man. This suggests that the name may have been initially given as an occupational surname to someone who worked in a physically demanding profession, such as a laborer or farmer.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name dates back to the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, where it was spelled as "Swateman". This spelling variation indicates that the name was in use during the Middle Ages. Another early reference can be found in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield from the 14th century, where the name appears as "Swathman".

The surname is thought to have originated in the northern counties of England, particularly Yorkshire and Lancashire. It is possible that the name may have been associated with certain place names or locations where the bearers of the name resided, but there is no definitive evidence of this.

In the 16th century, records show a John Swatman who was born in Yorkshire in 1535. He was a prominent figure in the local community and served as a church warden. Another notable individual was Thomas Swatman, born in Lancashire in 1612, who was a successful merchant and landowner.

During the 17th century, the name appears in various parish records and tax rolls. One example is William Swatman, born in Yorkshire in 1658, who was a farmer and landowner. In the 18th century, there was a Robert Swatman, born in Lancashire in 1722, who was a renowned clockmaker and watchmaker.

Another individual of note was John Swatman, born in Yorkshire in 1789, who was a prominent figure in the local textile industry and served as a magistrate. His son, also named John Swatman (1820-1895), followed in his footsteps and became a successful businessman in the textile trade.

While the surname is not as common today as some other English surnames, it has persisted throughout history and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, reflecting the diverse origins and meanings behind family names.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Swatman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Swatman 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. Staffordshire leads with 54 Swatmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.68x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 54 8.68x
Norfolk 42 14.82x
Suffolk 32 14.25x
Yorkshire 28 1.53x
Middlesex 13 0.71x
Durham 4 0.73x
Gloucestershire 4 1.11x
Kent 4 0.64x
Shropshire 2 1.26x
Derbyshire 1 0.35x
Northamptonshire 1 0.58x
Surrey 1 0.11x
Sussex 1 0.32x
Warwickshire 1 0.22x
Worcestershire 1 0.42x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wolverhampton in Staffordshire leads with 34 Swatmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 71.06x.

Place Total Index
Wolverhampton 34 71.06x
Lowestoft 23 216.78x
Heigham 18 118.27x
Southcoates 13 128.21x
Wymondham 11 379.31x
Wednesfield 9 98.25x
Bilston 5 41.46x
Ipswich St Mathew 5 79.49x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 5 58.75x
Belton 4 1025.64x
Naunton 4 1212.12x
Normanby In 4 81.97x
Sutton 4 192.31x
Wednesbury 4 25.72x
West Lynn 4 1111.11x
Westoe 4 12.87x
Barnsley 3 15.92x
Gillingham 3 23.13x
Hampton London 3 99.01x
Holy Trinity 3 6.83x
St Marylebone London 3 3.05x
Gressenhall 2 384.62x
St Pancras London 2 1.35x
Aston 1 0.78x
Battersea 1 1.47x
Brewood 1 55.87x
Bridgnorth St Mary 1 64.52x
Brighton 1 1.59x
Colwich 1 67.57x
Darfield 1 60.24x
Dudley 1 3.42x
Holbrook 1 153.85x
Islington London 1 0.56x
Paddington London 1 1.48x
Peterborough 1 7.96x
Poplar London 1 2.87x
Sevenoaks 1 19.61x
Shrewsbury St Chad 1 17.89x
St George Hanover 1 4.15x
Swaffham 1 43.29x
Threxton 1 2000.00x
Westminster St John 1 4.45x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

FAQ

Swatman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Swatman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 190 people were recorded with the Swatman surname. That placed it at #13,270 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Swatman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 300 in 2016. That gives Swatman a modern rank of #14,738.

What does the Swatman surname mean?

An occupational surname derived from the Middle English word "swat," meaning a woodcutter or forest ranger.

What does the Swatman map show?

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