NameCensus.

UK surname

Swinburne

An English habitational surname derived from locations named for a swift-running stream or burn.

In the 1881 census there were 390 people recorded with the Swinburne surname, ranking it #8,104 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 816, ranked #6,800, up from #8,104 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Gateshead and Newcastle St John. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Newcastle upon Tyne, Hartlepool and Preston.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Swinburne is 858 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 109.2%.

1881 census count

390

Ranked #8,104

Modern count

816

2016, ranked #6,800

Peak year

2010

858 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Swinburne had 390 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,104 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 816 in 2016, ranked #6,800.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 715 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Swinburne surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Swinburne surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Swinburne 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 119 #15,247
1861 historical 181 #12,997
1881 historical 390 #8,104
1891 historical 513 #7,274
1901 historical 617 #6,917
1911 historical 715 #5,975
1997 modern 805 #6,508
1998 modern 824 #6,601
1999 modern 826 #6,633
2000 modern 820 #6,639
2001 modern 803 #6,634
2002 modern 816 #6,660
2003 modern 783 #6,774
2004 modern 795 #6,703
2005 modern 781 #6,729
2006 modern 782 #6,752
2007 modern 802 #6,667
2008 modern 795 #6,786
2009 modern 811 #6,810
2010 modern 858 #6,642
2011 modern 824 #6,781
2012 modern 826 #6,676
2013 modern 846 #6,663
2014 modern 832 #6,771
2015 modern 819 #6,799
2016 modern 816 #6,800

Geography

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Where Swinburnes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Gateshead, Newcastle St John, Stranton and Bishop Wearmouth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Newcastle upon Tyne, Hartlepool, Preston, County Durham and Ribble Valley. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Newcastle St John Northumberland
4 Stranton Durham
5 Bishop Wearmouth Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Newcastle upon Tyne 017 Newcastle upon Tyne
2 Hartlepool 003 Hartlepool
3 Preston 002 Preston
4 County Durham 003 County Durham
5 Ribble Valley 004 Ribble Valley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Swinburne

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Swinburne

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Swinburne surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Swinburne household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Swinburne 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

Swinburne is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Swinburne falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Swinburne 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 Swinburne, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Swinburne

The surname Swinburne is of English origin and dates back to the 12th century. It is a locational name derived from the Old English words "swīn" meaning "swine" or "pig" and "burna" meaning "stream" or "brook". The name likely referred to a stream or brook where pigs were kept or raised.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Northumberland in 1197, where it appears as Swynburn. This spelling variation suggests that the name was initially pronounced with a "y" sound, which later evolved into the modern spelling of Swinburne.

The Swinburne family was prominent in the counties of Northumberland and Durham in the north of England. They held lands and manor houses in these areas, including the estate of Capheaton in Northumberland, which remained in the family's possession for several centuries.

In the 13th century, the Swinburne family is mentioned in the Testa de Nevill, an important medieval record of landholdings in England. This document lists Adam de Swinburne as holding lands in Northumberland in 1242.

One notable figure from the Swinburne family was Sir John Swinburne (1555-1616), a member of the English gentry who served as a member of Parliament and was involved in the colonization of Virginia. He was among the early shareholders of the Virginia Company of London.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Algernon Charles Swinburne (1837-1909), an English poet and critic who was a key figure in the Victorian literary movement. He was known for his controversial works that explored themes of sensuality and paganism.

Other notable individuals with the surname Swinburne include:

1. Henry Swinburne (1551-1624), an English Catholic writer and traveler. 2. John Swinburne (1820-1889), an English lawyer and judge. 3. James Swinburne (1858-1958), an English mechanical engineer and inventor. 4. Noel Swinburne (1904-1985), an English philosopher and educational theorist. 5. Richard Swinburne (born 1934), an English philosopher and theologian.

While the name has evolved over time, its origins can be traced back to the northern counties of England, where it was firmly rooted in the medieval period and became associated with landed gentry and notable figures throughout history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Swinburne families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Swinburne 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. Durham leads with 192 Swinburnes recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.96x.

County Total Index
Durham 192 16.96x
Northumberland 54 9.54x
Middlesex 31 0.81x
Yorkshire 31 0.82x
Lancashire 16 0.35x
Cumberland 13 3.97x
Cheshire 11 1.31x
Warwickshire 9 0.94x
Sussex 6 0.94x
Dorset 5 2.00x
Gloucestershire 4 0.54x
Suffolk 4 0.86x
Hampshire 3 0.38x
Derbyshire 2 0.34x
Devon 2 0.25x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.42x
East Lothian 1 1.98x
Midlothian 1 0.20x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.20x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.83x
Staffordshire 1 0.08x
Surrey 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. Heworth in Durham leads with 24 Swinburnes recorded in 1881 and an index of 107.62x.

Place Total Index
Heworth 24 107.62x
Westoe 22 34.29x
Gateshead 21 24.78x
Thornley 13 317.07x
Benfieldside 12 161.29x
Tanfield 11 81.72x
Urpeth 11 500.00x
Longbenton 8 33.38x
Wallsend 8 44.57x
Byker 7 25.02x
Elswick 7 15.50x
Hexham 7 79.91x
Hornsey 7 14.55x
Ryhope 7 89.06x
Thirsk 7 160.92x
Aston 6 2.27x
Birtley 6 129.87x
Darlington 6 13.73x
Durham St Nicholas 6 215.83x
Richmond 6 101.87x
Sheffield 6 5.00x
Throckley 6 384.62x
Winlaton 6 55.25x
Chelsea London 5 4.36x
Crosscanonby 5 46.17x
East Rainton 5 228.31x
Haughton Le Skerne 5 537.63x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 5 10.20x
Medomsley 5 94.70x
Old Park 5 416.67x
Parkstone 5 171.82x
Brighton 4 3.09x
Chadderton 4 18.12x
Ipswich St Mathew 4 30.79x
Knutsford Nether 4 78.74x
Manchester 4 1.97x
Stockport 4 9.26x
Stockton On Tees 4 7.33x
Usworth 4 66.56x
West Derby 4 3.03x
Westgate 4 11.41x
Workington 4 21.33x
Alverstoke 3 10.63x
Birmingham 3 0.94x
Brandon Byshottles 3 21.16x
Gorton 3 7.07x
Haswell 3 36.99x
Islington London 3 0.81x
Kensington London 3 1.42x
Middlesbrough 3 6.11x
Thornaby 3 21.29x
Wolviston 3 379.75x
York St Mary 3 19.22x
Capheaton 2 869.57x
Corbridge 2 96.62x
Ecclesall Bierlow 2 2.61x
Lanchester 2 96.15x
Shoreditch London 2 1.21x
St George Hanover 2 4.03x
St George Martyr 2 31.20x
St Marylebone London 2 0.98x
Timperley 2 68.49x
Tormoham 2 5.97x
Winchcomb 2 54.05x
Belper 1 8.66x
Bywell St Peter 1 588.24x
Coundon Grange 1 40.32x
Dalston 1 39.53x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 0.49x
Hastings Holy Trinity 1 21.14x
Horsham 1 8.03x
Hutton In Forest 1 312.50x
Mansfield 1 5.64x
Oldham 1 0.69x
Putney 1 5.77x
Sowerby Castle 1 370.37x
St Cuthbert W O Carleton 1 111.11x
St George In East 1 3.86x
Sunbury 1 21.88x
Walsall Foreign 1 1.51x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 23
Jane 22
Elizabeth 17
Isabella 9
Hannah 7
Sarah 7
Annie 6
Margaret 6
Ann 5
Esther 5
Catherine 4
Charlotte 4
Eleanor 4
Eliz. 4
Emily 4
Alice 3
Dorothy 3
Ellen 3
Julia 3
Kate 3
Louisa 3
Beatrice 2
Bessie 2
Edith 2
Eliza 2
Emma 2
Lucy 2
Matilda 2
Annira 1
Christina 1
E.A. 1
Elizth. 1
Ester 1
Eve 1
Evelyn 1
Florence 1
Friederica 1
Georgina 1
Isabbela 1
Isabel 1
Jemmima 1
Jenny 1
Jessie 1
Kameh 1
Lily 1
Margery 1
Margt. 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Wilhelmina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 34
Thomas 34
William 17
George 15
James 8
Joseph 7
Robert 7
Charles 5
Miles 5
Matthew 4
Alfred 3
Michael 3
Anthony 2
Francis 2
Geo. 2
Gilbert 2
Harold 2
Herbert 2
Ralph 2
Robt. 2
Tho. 2
Thos. 2
Walter 2
Bertie 1
Braithwaite 1
Chas.Alfred 1
Cuthbert 1
Daniel 1
Edmund 1
Edward 1
Ernest 1
Fr. 1
Fred 1
Fredrick 1
Henry 1
Isaac 1
Jas.Kemball 1
Mark 1
Mary 1
Mattw. 1
Nicholas 1
Richard 1
Robt.Wm. 1
Samuel 1
Septimus 1
Simpson 1
Sydney 1
Thos.Wilson 1
Tom 1
Wynford 1

FAQ

Swinburne surname: questions and answers

How common was the Swinburne surname in 1881?

In 1881, 390 people were recorded with the Swinburne surname. That placed it at #8,104 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Swinburne surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 816 in 2016. That gives Swinburne a modern rank of #6,800.

What does the Swinburne surname mean?

An English habitational surname derived from locations named for a swift-running stream or burn.

What does the Swinburne map show?

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