UK surname
A surname possibly derived from Swiss, referring to someone of Swiss origin or descent.
The strongest historical links point to Guilsfield, Wolverhampton and Toxteth Park. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Swist is 120 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has changed.
1881 census count
-
Modern count
25
2016, ranked #36,324
Peak year
1861
120 bearers
Map years
1
1861 to 1861
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Swist surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Swist surname density by area, 1861 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 6 | #32,278 |
| 1861 | historical | 120 | #18,255 |
| 1891 | historical | 40 | #31,174 |
| 1901 | historical | 1 | #34,548 |
| 1911 | historical | 14 | #32,045 |
| 2003 | modern | 1 | #38,735 |
| 2004 | modern | 3 | #38,241 |
| 2005 | modern | 4 | #38,078 |
| 2006 | modern | 4 | #38,130 |
| 2007 | modern | 9 | #37,435 |
| 2008 | modern | 12 | #37,143 |
| 2009 | modern | 16 | #36,850 |
| 2010 | modern | 14 | #37,124 |
| 2011 | modern | 12 | #37,287 |
| 2012 | modern | 21 | #36,490 |
| 2013 | modern | 21 | #36,561 |
| 2014 | modern | 24 | #36,358 |
| 2015 | modern | 25 | #36,297 |
| 2016 | modern | 25 | #36,324 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Guilsfield, Wolverhampton, Toxteth Park, Prescot and Bolton-le-Moors. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guilsfield | Montgomeryshire |
| 2 | Wolverhampton | Staffordshire |
| 3 | Toxteth Park | Lancashire |
| 4 | Prescot | Lancashire |
| 5 | Bolton-le-Moors | Lancashire |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Swist surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Swist, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Swist surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Swist household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Swist is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Swist is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Swist, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname SWIST is believed to have originated in Germany, possibly in the early to mid-17th century. It may have derived from the German word "schwitzen," which means "to sweat" or "to perspire." The name could have been given as a descriptive nickname to someone who frequently sweated or had a profession that involved physical labor and sweating.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name SWIST can be found in the town of Naumburg, in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. In a church record dated 1638, a person named Hans SWIST is mentioned as a resident of the town. This suggests that the name had already been established in the region by that time.
Another early reference to the SWIST surname can be found in the village of Weißenborn, located in the state of Thuringia, Germany. A family by the name of SWIST is recorded as having lived in the village in the late 17th century, with the earliest known member being Johann SWIST, born in 1672.
In the 18th century, the name SWIST appears to have spread to other parts of Germany, as well as neighboring regions. One notable person with this surname was Johann Wilhelm SWIST, a German composer and organist who was born in 1789 in the town of Neuwied, located in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate.
As the name SWIST continued to disperse, it also evolved into various spelling variations, such as Schwist, Schweist, and Schweitzer. These variations likely emerged as a result of regional dialects and the differences in pronunciation and spelling conventions across different areas.
Another individual of note was Friedrich SWIST, a German philosopher and writer who lived from 1806 to 1878. He was born in the town of Magdeburg and gained recognition for his works on ethics and morality.
In the late 19th century, the SWIST surname started to appear in other parts of Europe, possibly due to migration and immigration patterns. One example is August SWIST, a Polish painter born in 1871 in the city of Kraków, who gained fame for his landscape paintings.
While the surname SWIST may not be among the most common surnames worldwide, it has a rich history that can be traced back several centuries, with its origins rooted in the German language and culture. The name has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including composers, philosophers, and artists, contributing to its enduring legacy.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
FAQ
The latest modern count shown here is 25 in 2016. That gives Swist a modern rank of #36,324.
A surname possibly derived from Swiss, referring to someone of Swiss origin or descent.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Swist bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.