NameCensus.

UK surname

Swift

An English occupational surname referring to a swift or quick person, possibly a messenger or courier.

In the 1881 census there were 9,258 people recorded with the Swift surname, ranking it #457 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 13,361, ranked #482, down from #457 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Halifax, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include St. Helens and Hartlepool.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Swift is 13,576 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 44.3%.

1881 census count

9,258

Ranked #457

Modern count

13,361

2016, ranked #482

Peak year

2010

13,576 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Swift had 9,258 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #457 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 13,361 in 2016, ranked #482.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 12,713 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Swift surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Swift surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Swift 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 5,744 #484
1861 historical 5,739 #475
1881 historical 9,258 #457
1891 historical 9,840 #444
1901 historical 11,611 #450
1911 historical 12,713 #383
1997 modern 12,877 #470
1998 modern 13,359 #471
1999 modern 13,434 #472
2000 modern 13,351 #472
2001 modern 13,055 #471
2002 modern 13,421 #471
2003 modern 13,005 #473
2004 modern 12,973 #475
2005 modern 12,931 #473
2006 modern 12,838 #474
2007 modern 12,932 #476
2008 modern 12,974 #478
2009 modern 13,333 #476
2010 modern 13,576 #479
2011 modern 13,430 #478
2012 modern 13,176 #481
2013 modern 13,473 #480
2014 modern 13,554 #483
2015 modern 13,445 #482
2016 modern 13,361 #482

Geography

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Where Swifts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Halifax, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, London parishes, Liverpool and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to St. Helens and Hartlepool. 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 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 St. Helens 008 St. Helens
2 St. Helens 014 St. Helens
3 St. Helens 016 St. Helens
4 St. Helens 004 St. Helens
5 Hartlepool 003 Hartlepool

Forenames

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First names often paired with Swift

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Swift

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Swift surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Swift household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Swift 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

Swift is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Swift 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 Swift 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 Swift, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Swift

The surname Swift is of Anglo-Saxon origin, deriving from the Old English word "swift" which means "moving quickly". It is believed to have originated in England during the Anglo-Saxon period, between the 5th and 11th centuries AD.

The name was initially used as a nickname or descriptive name for someone who was regarded as being particularly swift or agile. It may have been applied to a swift runner or messenger, or someone with a quick mind or movement. Over time, the nickname became hereditary and passed down as a surname.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Swift can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Suift". This document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, was a detailed survey of land ownership in England, and it provides valuable insight into the distribution of surnames during that period.

In the 13th century, the name is recorded in various spelling variations, such as Swyft, Swifft, and Swifte. These variations were common due to the lack of standardized spelling rules and the influence of regional dialects.

Notable individuals who bore the surname Swift include the famous English satirist and author Jonathan Swift (1667-1745), best known for his works "Gulliver's Travels" and "A Modest Proposal". Another prominent figure was Sir Josiah Swift (1667-1745), an English lawyer and politician who served as Lord Chancellor of Ireland.

Other historical figures with the surname Swift include: - Ebenezer Swift (1666-1732), an American-born English bishop and missionary - Benjamin Swift (1781-1875), an American naval officer during the War of 1812 - John Swift (1630-1679), an English churchman and religious writer - Thomas Swift (1661-1752), an English clergyman and author

The surname Swift has also been associated with various place names throughout England, including Swift's Green in Suffolk, Swift's Vale in Gloucestershire, and Swift's Brook in Cambridgeshire. These place names likely originated from individuals with the surname Swift who lived or owned land in those areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Swift families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Swift 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. Yorkshire leads with 2,534 Swifts recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.83x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 2,534 2.83x
Lancashire 2,480 2.32x
Middlesex 572 0.63x
Derbyshire 464 3.28x
Staffordshire 433 1.42x
Nottinghamshire 286 2.35x
Kent 266 0.86x
Warwickshire 239 1.05x
Cheshire 236 1.18x
Leicestershire 196 1.96x
Lincolnshire 178 1.23x
Surrey 178 0.40x
Somerset 165 1.14x
Shropshire 143 1.83x
Durham 136 0.51x
Essex 91 0.51x
Sussex 80 0.53x
Lanarkshire 56 0.19x
Hampshire 44 0.24x
Northumberland 37 0.28x
Flintshire 30 1.24x
Rutland 30 4.53x
Devon 29 0.15x
Gloucestershire 27 0.15x
Worcestershire 27 0.23x
Buckinghamshire 26 0.48x
Bedfordshire 22 0.47x
Norfolk 22 0.16x
Northamptonshire 22 0.26x
Huntingdonshire 20 1.12x
Oxfordshire 18 0.32x
Hertfordshire 16 0.26x
Glamorgan 14 0.09x
Monmouthshire 14 0.21x
Banffshire 10 0.53x
Cornwall 10 0.10x
Berkshire 9 0.13x
Wiltshire 9 0.11x
Herefordshire 8 0.22x
Ayrshire 6 0.09x
Cambridgeshire 6 0.11x
Fife 6 0.11x
Isle of Man 6 0.36x
Montgomeryshire 6 0.29x
Peeblesshire 6 1.41x
Cardiganshire 5 0.23x
Midlothian 5 0.04x
Perthshire 5 0.12x
Royal Navy 4 0.37x
Suffolk 4 0.04x
Westmorland 3 0.15x
Angus 2 0.02x
Caernarfonshire 2 0.05x
Channel Islands 2 0.07x
Denbighshire 2 0.06x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.04x
Merionethshire 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Windle in Lancashire leads with 166 Swifts recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.56x.

Place Total Index
Windle 166 27.56x
Ecclesall Bierlow 157 8.63x
Sheffield 140 4.92x
West Derby 130 4.15x
Leeds 118 2.34x
Halifax 107 8.15x
Liverpool 104 1.60x
Nottingham St Mary 104 3.31x
Barnsley 101 10.95x
Nether Hallam 90 7.44x
Birmingham 89 1.17x
Aston 85 1.36x
Parr 85 22.19x
Preston 85 2.97x
Brightside Bierlow 83 4.73x
Wigan 78 5.21x
Toxteth Park 75 2.07x
Everton 65 1.90x
Ecclesfield 61 9.31x
Islington London 61 0.70x
Dukinfield 60 6.52x
Huddersfield 55 4.22x
Upholland 55 40.09x
Eccleston In Prescot 54 10.05x
Stoke Upon Trent 54 1.67x
Worsbrough 53 20.23x
Oldham 51 1.48x
Kirkdale 48 2.67x
Formby 47 38.77x
Haydock 44 23.85x
St Pancras London 44 0.61x
Dewsbury 43 4.69x
Ince In Makerfield 43 8.63x
Skelmersdale 41 22.98x
Wombwell 41 15.73x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 40 4.80x
Blackburn 39 1.37x
Bradford 38 1.76x
Pemberton 38 8.90x
Sculcoates 38 2.68x
Kensington London 37 0.74x
Thurgoland 37 61.34x
Little Bolton 36 2.62x
Mirfield 36 7.33x
Camberwell 35 0.61x
West Ham 35 0.89x
Mile End Old Town 34 2.39x
Scarborough 34 4.19x
Cromford 33 99.31x
Matlock 33 17.40x
Wolverhampton 33 1.41x
Northowram 32 5.10x
Selby 32 17.13x
Thornhill 32 12.27x
Upper Hallam 32 41.20x
Dronfield 31 17.13x
Hathern 31 76.51x
Rainhill 31 45.20x
Writhlington 31 245.45x
Deeping St James 30 58.84x
Maidstone 30 3.27x
Staveley 30 11.96x
Bickerstaffe 29 41.38x
Failsworth 29 11.84x
Heeley 29 10.67x
Lathom 29 22.43x
Manningham 29 2.63x
Ashton In Makerfield 28 9.18x
Bootle Cum Linacre 28 3.29x
Heage 28 37.46x
Leicester St Margaret 28 1.15x
Manchester 28 0.58x
Tipton 28 3.00x
Hornsey 27 2.37x
Rawmarsh 27 8.55x
Thornaby 27 8.08x
Warrington 27 2.13x
Wellow 27 63.22x
Chelsea London 26 0.96x
Newcastle Under Lyme 26 4.82x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 691
Sarah 391
Elizabeth 363
Ann 244
Jane 169
Ellen 167
Annie 146
Alice 135
Eliza 126
Margaret 117
Emma 113
Hannah 111
Emily 83
Martha 72
Edith 63
Clara 58
Catherine 57
Florence 56
Louisa 56
Fanny 53
Harriet 53
Ada 51
Kate 44
Maria 44
Charlotte 38
Anne 37
Agnes 36
Lucy 34
Caroline 32
Esther 29
Frances 28
Elizth. 25
Gertrude 21
Isabella 21
Amy 20
Bridget 19
Rebecca 19
Susannah 18
Harriett 17
Julia 16
Sophia 16
Susan 16
Amelia 15
Ethel 15
Ruth 15
Eleanor 14
Maud 14
Minnie 14
Rachel 14
Bertha 13

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 616
William 486
Thomas 346
James 297
George 265
Joseph 205
Henry 164
Charles 152
Robert 100
Edward 91
Arthur 85
Richard 77
Alfred 76
Walter 76
Samuel 71
Frederick 55
Albert 52
Harry 52
Herbert 41
Ernest 36
Fred 36
Wm. 36
Frank 34
Benjamin 30
Peter 30
Patrick 29
Francis 28
Daniel 26
Thos. 24
Edwin 23
Tom 21
David 20
Isaac 18
Michael 18
Martin 16
Dean 15
Edmund 15
Joe 15
Joshua 15
Lionel 14
Stephen 13
Edgar 11
Percy 11
Sam 11
Chas. 10
Leonard 10
Mark 10
Sidney 10
Jonathan 9
Owen 9

FAQ

Swift surname: questions and answers

How common was the Swift surname in 1881?

In 1881, 9,258 people were recorded with the Swift surname. That placed it at #457 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Swift surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 13,361 in 2016. That gives Swift a modern rank of #482.

What does the Swift surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a swift or quick person, possibly a messenger or courier.

What does the Swift map show?

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